The Life of Lily Evans, The Tragedy
by hpOracle
Summary: Have you ever wondered... how Lily came to know of the Magical World? What mischief James got up to in his youth? How the Marauders came to been? How James finally snagged Lily? ITS ALL HERE! Throughout the seven years of Hogwarts! read and review
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The life of a ten year old girl is the best, no troubles, no worries only memories of muddled happiness that makes your eyes glaze over in reminiscence.

That is until the dawn of the eleventh birthday where everything you know crumples to your feet. That is the day that Lily Evans discovered life was not just a big bag of happiness, it has a dark side, a terrible side and to live out this factor of life is possibly the hardest thing to do.

The day started like any other, the birds were singing the sun was shining, but the birds were the only sounds which welcomed Lily to a new day. It was missing something, her mother's voice perhaps, gently tugging her from her dreams; maybe it was the absences of the smell of bacon wafting through the floor boards from the stove down stairs in the kitchen.

Lily sat up straight in bed, suddenly tense. A Sunday in the Evans household was full of bacon and laughter, and as it was Lily's birthday the air was usually filled with the sound of the telephone continuously ringing holding messages of birthday wishes from relatives you'd just like to disown, waking her up from the noise.

But today was different; the house was filled with an eerie silence, save the birds twittering madly out side. Lily wished they wouldn't something had obviously happened. It reminded Lily of the day she came home from school to be met with the news her grandparents had died in a tragic car accident.

Lily shook the feeling from her mind. She had been affected badly by that forever lasting moment in her life, she did not want to relive it on her birthday of all days.

She pulled her self out of her warm bed and felt an ice chill surround her, she crossed the room quickly and slipped on her dressing gown and slippers and crept through her bedroom door into the hallway just to be met with the same spine tingling silence. Lily was starting to get worried now, if her parents had went somewhere, surely they would have woken her and taken her with them. It was her birthday after all.

She quietly walked down the hallway; her slippers making an odd "click" when the slipper slapped her heal. The sound irritated her so she removed them at her parent's bedroom door and entered the room.

The room was large and spacious, with a bathroom and balcony. The double bed in the middle of the room looked as though it had not been slept in. Lily sniffed the air, the shower had not been in use, and the usual scent of her mother's perfume was not lingering in the room. Lily's spirits fell, but her heart beat quickened.

She left the room quickly, she usually was highly fond of her parents' room, but now it was cold and lifeless.

Lily's mind was trying hard not to click into panic mode. Thoughts trickled into her mind, making her shake them away just as fast as they had come. She would not think that. However, desperate the situation may become.

She had reached the top of the stairs now.

She distinctly thought that the birds had stopped twittering now or she had gone deaf. Either way she could not hear anything.

She flicked some of her blood red curls out of her eyes as he walked down the stairs and turned into the living room.

The television was on, but all sound was muted. This struck Lily as odd, this occurred when her father, Gordon, was trying to hear something other than the television such as his wife, Anne, or what was happening outside.

Lily approached the television set and pushed the power button, the screen went black instantly.

Lily passed the fireplace with a mirror placed above the mantle piece. Lily looked at her appearance briefly and continued onto the kitchen. But then she stopped herself and pulled back to look at her reflection once more.

Her blood red curls fell down, well past the middle of her back, her fair skin glowed with health and no impurities. Her bright emerald eyes, she realised had lost their spark. They tended to do that when she was worried and by this stage she was well beyond believing this was a cruel prank.

Lily turned away from her reflection not noticing a letter propped up against a picture of Lily and her parents.

She started toward the entrance to the kitchen on the opposite side of the room.

It seemed all time had stopped and the whole of Lily's life had led up to this point in time.

She reached the door and grasped the door handle in a sweaty palm. She turned the knob slowly and pushed open the door.

What she found shocked her.

Completely nothing.

She was alone on her birthday, she felt tears well up as her heart cracked slightly down the middle.

Of all things to forget, they had forgotten her eleventh birthday.

This thought resided in her brain as she poured her self a glass of orange juice and walked through to the dining room sipping the juice occasionally.

The glass fell to the tiled floor with an ear splitting smash. But Lily was the only one to hear it and she had become unaware of her surroundings for she had just discovered why the house was so silent, why she was to be alone for her birthday.

She looked into her mothers' glassy features, the expression of fear etched onto her young face. Her fathers' face was of the same glassy condition but the expression of determination drowned all fear felt in the last dying moments of Gordon's life.

Lily crumpled to the ground to join her shattered glass.

She took both her mother and father's cold hands and held them for an age.

She did not receive any needed comfort.

Lily's body shook continuously as her heart successfully splintered into innumerable pieces.

Lily cried out in pain, it engulfed her, making her feel worst and willing the powerful emotion to end her life so she would not be alone in this world. That was the thought which settled in her mind, she was alone.

She was confused at the thought that two perfectly healthy people could fall dead during the night. No, this was murder but she had no idea how it had come to pass.

Her mind was overcome by such an intense hate, Lily could feel the emotion bubbling beneath her flesh. Never had Lily felt this way before.

Her shaking stopped immediately as the hate overtook all other thought. She raised her self from the ground, but was soon met with such a spasm of splitting pain as her knees collapsed from under her making contact with the hard tiled flooring.

But after a moment of experiencing such pain, Lily blocked it out and opted for the feeling of nothing to seep into her body. She could no longer feel the stabbing sensations coming from her knees or her continuous breaking heart.

She ignored it all.

Her mind made her believe she did not deserve the air in her lungs, her life, for she had been angry at her parents' for not remembering her birthday. She now believed they had not lasted long enough to see the dawn.

It angered her she had not heard anything for she believed her gift could have saved them.

Lily's gift wasn't talked about much, but her parent's always held a special glint in their eyes when ever an odd occurrence happened or they received an angry telephone call from Lily's principal. These occurrences happened when Lily was angry or upset, but other than this minor detail Lily was unable to explain her gift.

Lily wondered were her sister, Petunia, was now and wondered how she was going to break the news.

Rising again from her spot on the floor, and glad the movement wasn't met with pain Lily snatched the table cloth from the dining table and in one quick movement she had covered both her mother and father's bodies from view.

Then she turned her back on them.

Just as suddenly as she had done it she turned back around and uncovered their faces from underneath the cloth.

"I'm sorry mum." Lily kissed her mother's cold forehead "Dad" She kissed her father's cold forehead in turn.

She couldn't leave them, it looked as if they were only sleeping. This made her heart wrench apart a fraction more.

Lily felt her body start to shake once more and felt the tears finally make their appearance on her cheeks.

She slid down the wall and cried.

The day mulled into night. Lily had not moved all day. She had both her parents' hands in her possession with no intention of letting go.

That is until she heard a loud knock on the door echo throughout the dark, quiet house.

A/N: I'll be updating every week, r/r. Thanks for reading


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The house was cold and lifeless; Lily's mind was processing the shock she had endured that day. She could not think of anything else but her parents beside her.

She had no need to eat, her body forbade it. She felt sick in the stomach, but no energy to change it.

Over the several hours she had spent in the dining room, holding each of her parents' hands, the very thing she used to do when she was a small child and something had happened which had made her scared or sad. She became angered that this act could not produce an ounce of comfort.

She felt so distant from them and it scared her, they were beside her, but she knew they were long gone. All their memories, their personalities had disappeared into nothingness. They now only existed in Lily's memories, and she believed her memories of her parents' weren't doing them justice. She started to feel frightened of the very presence of the bodies of the people she loved more than any other.

Her heart was successfully broken now; she believed it would never be mended.

She knew she was a different person, from the eleven year old who woke up that morning.

The invader knocked again and Lily jumped. She slowly unclasped her mother and fathers' cold hands from hers, and placed them together on the cold tiled floor.

She rose from the ground and put her hands together to feel the warmth of the living it was comforting but depressing at the same time. Lily closed her eyes and gathered the strength "Coming!" her voice cracked the silence, with a raspy squeak quite unlike her own. The knocking stopped.

She had no other choice but to answer the door, she had given herself away. If it hadn't been for the habit of calling out when the door was knocked upon she could have stayed on her own in the gathering darkness and be abused by her sorrow, and let the knocker be on there way.

She hoped for the knocker's sake it wasn't a sales person. She was not in the right frame of mind to deal with that right now, or any person for that matter.

She crossed the living room and clicked on a lamp, the light stung her eyes making her shield them hastily.

She continued toward the door until she heard "Miss Evans, are you alright?"

It was a man's voice, full of concern. But she had no memory of that voice ever meeting her ears. This was not the relative she had hoped for to take her away from this place of sadness and sorrow, no this was a stranger.

Her blank mind dug up a memory of her mother telling her not to talk to people she had not met, or her parents for that matter. Was she never to meet another person again? Was she to be alone in this large world at the age of eleven? Lily's mind argued against her mother's echoing voice, a strange is just a face you do not know the name to, who does not give you a second glance as they pass you by in the street and in turn does not know your name. But this man knew Lily's name, more importantly he knew she was there, that must count for something, she thought as her mother's voice faded.

Lily glanced over at the mantle piece; she looked at her reflection again noticing her deathly dark eyes in the feeble light from the lamp. It scared her. She wanted to be in the company of someone who she could trust, who knew what she was going through at the present time. Maybe they could make her eyes lighten so they shone the emerald green she inherited from her mother.

Her only hope was to answer the door and put her fears to rest. She tore her eyes away from her reflection and approached the door warily.

She pulled the door open and was met with the sight of a very strange man.

The middle-aged man sat on her doorstep; he had long auburn hair and was wearing a long dark blue robe.

"Hello" Lily said quietly to the back of the man, she was fighting the temptation to close the door and walk away from the sight.

But the strange man turned around at her voice. She was suddenly confronted by a pair of light blue, sparkling eyes, with many years of joy and happiness found deep within them but with a hint of sadness making its appearance as Lily held his gaze for a moment more before her eyes fell to the ground.

"Miss Evans" He said as he gathered himself off her door step and stood before her.

He was incredibly tall, considering Lily's height was short for her age.

He held out an aged hand to Lily which she took slowly "I'm pleased to finally meet your acquaintance, my name is Albus Dumbledore" he bowed to her. Lily felt slightly uncomfortable that a stranger, or Albus Dumbledore as he called himself, had bowed to her. She had never had such an odd occurrence happen to her before.

It was a moment before she realised Dumbledore had released her hand, she quickly replaced it at her side.

"May I ask what you are doing on my doorstep? And how you know my name?"

Lily asked quietly, she knew she had sounded rude, but she had the right to know.

"I have come to ask how you are on such a dark and terrible day, for I have heard of the passing of your parents'. I met you when you were a small child, but you would have no memory of me of course" he replied.

"Do -" She stopped her self quickly "Did my parents' know you?" She asked relieved that Dumbledore didn't give her mix up on words much thought.

On the contrary he smiled "Oh, no they have no memory of me either" he said sadly.

Lily knew there was something very mysterious about this man. The very clothing he wore shouted out that he was not of the local public; she had not seen anyone wear robes before, only in story books and movies perhaps.

Her mind scrambled back to the conversation. She had been looking so intently at the man's appearance; she had not noticed that they had been silent for a few minutes. Dumbledore was simple gazing at her interestedly, looking around him and up at the sky at the stars.

She found her voice "How did you know that my parents' are d-" she paused to gain her composure "dead?" she whispered. She remembered her day of silence and tears; she had not spoken to anyone, let alone told anyone. She now thought she should have at least called the police.

Dumbledore's eyes held signs of confusion "Your elder sister discovered your parents last night and alerted the local authorities, they have not called in yet?" he asked.

Pain swelled in Lily's chest, Petunia had discovered them that was the reason she wasn't here now. Lily had not been told a thing; she had been kept in the dark.

She had believed Petunia and her had a basic relationship, not strong but not as distant as not telling her that her parents' were dead and to let her find them on her own. Petunia herself fled, to leave her alone on her birthday.

Lily looked into Dumbledore's warm eyes "No, they have not" tears fell onto her cheeks; she did not waste her limited energy on wiping them away.

"I believe it was your birthday today, am I correct?" Dumbledore asked suddenly, still looking intently at Lily. He had obtained the information he needed, there was no need to put this child through more pain, he thought sadly. He lowered himself to his haunches, he was now Lily's height and he was able to see her better.

Lily sniffed as the tears continued to fall, but she nodded all the same.

Dumbledore smiled softly "Your eleventh?" he asked as though he already knew the answer.

Lily nodded again as her tears became less frequent. She had no need to cry any longer, it made her feel worse. She did not want to think of the birthday she had just endured, she did not want to think about anything at the moment.

"Well I have a birthday present for you" he said as he pulled out; what looked like a wooden rod, and waved it.

Lily watched wide eyed, as a red light appeared from the tip. She quickly cupped her hands as the red light floated into them.

She was overcome with an intense feeling of security and happiness warmed her hands. Lily smiled slightly as she played with the light, after a few moments it took on the shape of a beautiful red rose.

She looked up at Dumbledore "How?" she asked as she turned the rose in her fingertips.

"Magic" Dumbledore said simply, with a warm smile and a twinkle in the eye "I think I have found a new student".

A/N: Thanks for reading. Next chapter in a week!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lily gave Dumbledore a confused stare.

"Student?" Lily stuttered. "Magic?"

Dumbledore smiled kindly, "Yes, you heard me correctly, Miss Evans. You will be a magic student I presume?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with mystery.

Lily's mind swam. She looked down at the rose in her hand and touched the soft delicate petals. They bruised on contact and Lily's heart slid a notch downward. This dream, of leaving this house and starting a new life, was as temporary as the petals on the rose in her hand. How long would it last? Would she be accepted in this new world?

"May I come in? I will explain everything" Dumbledore asked gently as he pocketed the wooden rod and raised himself to his towering height once more.

"Of course," Lily replied without hesitation, stepping back to let Dumbledore through the front door.

Lily watched him go by. She looked on in wonderment as the once dim lighted room, lit by a lone lamp was illuminated by a sudden warm glow carried as it were by the man whom had just stepped foot in the door.

He took in his surroundings, glancing at a few photographs. He stopped in the centre of the room and turned to Lily "I was told that your parents' were good people. Unfortunately, I did not have the pleasure to meet them." He said kindly as he looked at the frame with the letter to Lily propped up against it. Dumbledore turned and smiled at Lily with encouragement, "May I ask where they are?" he asked Lily kindly.

Lily looked at Dumbledore for a long moment, all the while gathering the strength she needed to answer him. She touched the petals of the rich red rose in her hand and drew upon the magic within the flower. Finally, she swallowed loudly and took a long, deep breath "They're in the dining room, I will take you there" she said quickly, her newly found strength ebbed away as she started walking towards her parents' bodies. The overpowering truth hit Lily after each step she took 'They are dead,' her mind repeated, 'they are gone.'

After much persuasion she found herself by the door leading to the dining room. She could hear Dumbledore following her a few steps behind, giving her some space to come to terms with her loss.

At the door to the dining room, Lily leaned against the wall. She could not go in there again so soon. She could not be faced yet again with the truth at hand. Instead, breathing deeply to calm herself she gestured to Dumbledore to enter before her. Her breath caught painfully in her chest as Dumbledore passed her and entered the room. She let the wall support her weight as she waited for Dumbledore to reappear.

A few minutes past and Lily's breathing calmed. She glanced around the corner so the darkened room was in view. The sight of the dark mounds of thick shadow which were her parents, the thin shadows of the dining table and chairs blocking out the light, seeping into the room from the kitchen sickened her.

Grief stricken and terrified, Lily watched as the tall, dark shadow of Dumbledore stepped over the remains of her glass of orange juice. He turned and gave Lily a meaningful glance before he pulled out his wooden rod once more and waved it as he muttered something that sounded strange and alienated to Lily. At once the shards of glass flew from their respective places on the floor and mended into the glass it was that very morning.

Lily gasped as Dumbledore passed her the newly mended glass with a smile "We can't have you getting cut now, can we?" He said kindly.

Lily looked down at the glass in her hand. This couldn't be happening. This was all an illusion, the glass in her hand was just another she had took from a cupboard in the kitchen not the one she had shattered that morning. It was then she noticed the deep gashes in her hands where she had pressed her flesh into the glass strewn floor. She took in a deep breath as a wave of pain hit her. But she let it pass and blocked it out. No amount of physical pain is more important than the pain she felt in her heart.

The juice still remained, splashed throughout the room. But as soon as Lily had noticed this the juice was gone with another wave of the wooden rod and a mutter by Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was now kneeling over the bodies of both Gordon and Anne Evans and inspecting their frozen death state. Lily turned her head away, she could not agree with the sight before her. Her parents' were not dead, it was impossible. They were supposed to be here for her when she was upset, congratulate her when she succeeded at something and interrogate her first boyfriend until he ran from the house in fright. She was supposed to have fights with her parents through a closed and locked door, and grumble to them about friendships and school. But they wouldn't be there for any of that and she couldn't bear the thought of it.

Her legs began to feel weak. Her head felt heavy. She slid down the wall and held her heavy head in her hands, curled up into a tiny shivering ball. But no tears emerged from her emerald green eyes. Her tear ducts were blocked, her heart broken. She was an empty shell with no where to go, no one to turn to.

A shadow fell over her at that moment and she pulled herself from her intense grief to look up into the kind blue eyes of Professor Dumbledore. He placed a long, thin hand on Lily's small shoulder "Everything will get better in time. You will grow to be a better and stronger person because of this. You are a strong girl and can get through this if you only just believe in your self and accept what has happened to you. If you do that, you will be a match for any foe in the future."

Lily looked up at Dumbledore, her eyes bright, wide and pleading "How can I do that, Sir? How can I get over this? My parents' were everything to me. My life will never be the same again. I will never hear their voices again, their laughter. Everything they had been is now gone; only their skin and bones are there. But they too will disappear." Lily whispered in disbelief, but a strong energy came from her then as she pulled herself up straighter "I understand death, Sir. But I didn't think it would ever affect me. I thought my parents would always be there. Gosh, I thought I would die before them!"

Dumbledore smiled at the small girl. What a wise witch this one would make, he said to himself as he rubbed her shoulder lightly "No one knows when death will touch them. No one can try to brace them selves for such a thing. But experiencing the impact death of another close to you has will help you through lesser evils in your life." He became suddenly thoughtful looking at his robe. He looked up at Lily, his blue eyes twinkling "Lily, could you do something for me?"

Lily looked up at him, her eyes moist from the tears which will never fall and nodded slowly.

He leaned closer to her. From this distance Lily could see the deep lines in his skin, his eyes weeping silently, and the many bumps in his long thin nose. He withdrew the long wooden wand once more from his robes and held it out to Lily. Lily stared at it in awe uncomprehending what Dumbledore was trying to say through his actions.

"Take it and give it a wave," Dumbledore instructed in a whisper as though others may be listening.

Lily shook her head "Sir, I can't. I have never used one of those before."

"Everyone has to start somewhere" Dumbledore replied knowingly.

"You mean, I'm going to be – uh, what exactly will I be, Sir?" Lily asked in confusion. Sure there was a certain word she could possibly name the things she had witnessed. But that was completely absurd. Such a thing does not exist and never will in Lily's mind.

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled "Magical is probably the word you are looking for."

Lily gaped at him "Magical?" she said slowly, rolling it over her tongue to see if it sounded right. Nope, it didn't sound right at all "No, you have the wrong girl. I will not believe it."

Dumbledore stood up quickly "If you are so sure that magic does not exist, give the wand a wave anyway and prove me wrong. If I am wrong as you suppose I will disappear and never bother you again with my fantasy mumbo jumbo."

"Ok, deal." Lily couldn't think that she would be incorrect, so she didn't ask what would happen if that were the case. The thought that magic really did exist and the glass mended it's self and the rose clutched in her small hands really did materialise from a glowing ball of light, was slightly aching.

Dumbledore smiled and handed Lily his wand. Lily took the wooden rod apprehensively at first. What if it really was true…? – No, it's not. She stepped to the side of the door, to be framed in the door way, pointing the wand into the room. Then she waved the wand, feeling clumsy and stupid all the while.

For a moment, nothing happened. And she was about to turn around and expect Dumbledore to disappear and leave her alone to grieve for her parents and be taken to some unknown relative where she could forget about everything that had occurred and either be happy, or miserable. What a life to look forward to. But instead the wand vibrated slightly within her fingertips and then the room was illuminated in an intense white light. Balls, seemingly made of white light, of various sizes materialised in the room lighting every inch. To Lily's horror her parents forms, faces, features leaped out at her.

"OFF!" Lily screamed at the room, slicing the wand down. The white lights disappeared immediately, smashing into tiny pieces and faded into nothing.

Lily was breathing heavily, everything blurred from her moistened eyes. Lily screamed again, more in frustration then grief. She ran into the room and kicked out at one of the chairs, part of the dining set. It shattered somehow before she even touched the wood. She glanced coldly at the table and that spilt in two a moment later. Splintered wood fluttered in the air while Lily destroyed each piece of the dining set one by one.

She was about to turn on a cabinet when a calm hand landed on her shoulder. She froze and spun around. Dumbledore stood behind her searching her eyes for something, rationalism? "Lily, this is not the answer."

Lily's eyes narrowed "How would you know? I have just been told I am magical! Of all things, magic! A thing I never knew existed and here it is, in my blood! I don't want to see it again; I don't want to feel it in my fingertips ever! It's all that wands fault."

Dumbledore shook his head slowly and pointed to the door way. There lay the wand, discarded in her sudden bout of anger.

Lily deflated "You mean, that was all me?"

Dumbledore nodded "And quite a display at that."

Lily shook her head in denial "NO!" Lily screamed as her knees buckled. She looked up at Dumbledore slowly "My parents knew didn't they?"

Dumbledore looked down at Lily sadly, and then finally nodded in reply.

Lily hung her head "I knew it. I always knew it" She whispered slowly. "I always thought they looked at me strangely, or with too much pride. I was never a special kid, never brilliant at anything. And here I am, I have finally found something and I don't want to believe it. I want to be plain, unnoticeable to everyone around me. I don't want to stick out. But I always have, haven't I?" Lily asked Dumbledore sadly "I have always been different, a witch, magical. And now I know why my sister hated me so. She knew all along, and she never told me. Only through snide comments and hide the secret behind a smug face. She was happy to be ordinary, and now I don't even know where she is. Did they kill her too?" She was hysterical, she knew that. But she couldn't stop speaking to save herself. This was the one chance that all her questions may ever be answered, a majority of them anyway.

Dumbledore shook his head "Your sister Petunia is alive. She is at a friend's house as far as I know."

Lily released a relieved sigh "That's good; at least I will still have something familiar in my life, even though it is Petunia." Lily pulled a face "I guess I can't be picky now can I? She is all I have." Lily's face paled as she rocked back and forth, her arms wrapped tightly about her knees.

Dumbledore frowned, his eyes twinkled as he began "Don't ever think that you are alone, Lily. Because you never are, there is always someone that feels the same as you this very moment, is in the same situation or perhaps someone that may not have experienced the same things but understands what you are going through. Therefore, you are never alone. And you will not ever be alone at Hogwarts. There is always someone to talk to, to make you laugh, to make you forget about everything that ever made you feel cold and alone…"

Lily didn't hear very much after that. In her mind, Dumbledore had trailed off and now a dull silence had grown between them, but his words had not been spoken in vain. Every sentence repeated itself in her mind, echoing softly in her ears.

She barely saw Dumbledore look at her knowingly and turn away slowly, his heeled boots making no noise on the tiled flooring. He reapproached the fallen figures of Gordon and Anne Evans and lowered himself to his knee. He stared at the frozen expressions of the couple for a few moments, muttering incoherently to himself. Distinctly, a few words of his whispered conversation floated across the room to Lily's ears "Avada Kedavra Curse."

"Pardon?" Lily whispered hysterically.

Dumbledore looked up slowly from the ground; he had just closed Gordon Evans's eyes. He turned to Lily "Please know, Miss Evans, the Magical World holds many evils as well as miracles. There are, in a sense, good witches and wizards who fight for their right to feel safe in their homes and on the streets at all hours of the day and night. But on the other hand, there are also witches and wizards who fight for the fear in these 'good' magical people hearts, and take every chance to wreak havoc on the world, to gain power, gold, followers… whatever these people think to gain from causing such misery is a mystery really." Dumbledore concluded somewhat thoughtful.

Lily stared at him with wide eyes "You mean, this is not the end of all this? I will feel like this again and again because of these greedy, power-hungry people!"

Dumbledore smiled sadly "Unfortunately, yes. But hopefully it will not affect you again this directly."

Lily couldn't help but think Dumbledore was saying that for her to be relieved and forget about the obvious flaw in his remark. She had already been affected, purposefully targeted. How could Dumbledore say that it would never affect her again? If these evil witches and wizards took pleasure in causing others distress then this was not the last pair of bodies she will see in her life time. But why did her first pair have to be her parents?

"Lily, I think it is unwise for me to linger here for too long…"

"You're going to leave me as well?" Lily asked stiffly.

Dumbledore smiled sadly "Not in that sense. I cannot stay here for too long, my magical presence is too over whelming, if I do say so myself. If I were to stay I would bring your parents' murder's back, and in any case we do not want that to occur. No, you shall be safe here for the night. I will cast protective charms and the like to guarantee your safety, you will not be harmed I promise you."

Lily dismissed his promises rudely "How haven't I already been harmed!" She yelled, her voice cracking slightly "My parents are dead! Can't you see that? Can you see how this has harmed me! No such things as protective charms will help me against how I am feeling now." She breathed in deeply. She had just yelled at the one person in this entire world that was willing to help her, to take her away from all this pain. At least, she hoped he would.

She glanced over the fallen bodies of her parents and her heart cracked in two, spilling forth a raging torrent of anger. She stormed over to the bodies and stood over them, her large emerald green eyes dulled, her breathing measured "How can this be!" She whispered hoarsely. "How can two perfectly healthy people fall dead just like that?" She snapped her fingers; sadly "I don't understand how a _wand _could do such horrid and evil things and then produce such beauty." She touched the rose in her hand, feeling the magic absorb into her fingertips "I don't want to be apart of it."

"Lily, no other person would understand more than I how you are feeling at the present. But to give up something like this, to change fate? I understand that you are going through a terrible time. That you are young and the thought of leaving this world you forever believed to be normal is blinding. But the adventure is truly wondrous. You will learn such amazing things, broaden your horizons to the world you have no knowledge of, histories you are yet to learn, mysteries you are yet to discover." Dumbledore looked sadly at Lily, hoping she would accept his invitation to his school, hoping she will let herself see the potential he saw in her.

Lily's lip trembled as she looked upon her mother and father's faces, "Dad, tell me what to do?" she cried desperately to the frozen face. No answer came, and she knew she would have to make up her mind on her own.

"You are the only one that can choose, Lily. You are the one that will sit the exams, read the books, learn the magic" Dumbledore added softly "I will leave you alone for a few moments, to make your decision. I would like to inspect a few of these muggle appliances, they always fascinate me." He smiled encouragingly and turned on his heel and left her in the darkness.

Lily knelt down beside her parents "I love you" she whispered, stroking her mother's porcelain cheek. It was as cold as ice. She took her father's hand which had already started to stiffen into a clenched fist "I love you, Daddy."

It was then she stood, with strength she had no knowledge of and turned her back on her parents. She took a tentative step, feeling her heart splinter, and another and another until she had left the dining room and entered the living room.

Dumbledore was standing there inspecting the many photo frames and portraits. Lily's parents had been fanatics about keeping records of every year of their lives, so there were countless pictures of Lily in various stages of growing up. Lily's favourite was of Lily and her mother, quite close to the lens and both with their eyes wide. Lily stared at this picture of a four year old and young woman with identical bright emerald green eyes. She couldn't tear her eyes away from it.

"Lily, have you made your decision?" Dumbledore asked after several minutes of silence.

"Yes" Lily replied simply. She sighed and closed her eyes to block out the photo now haunting her, "I will go to Hogwarts."

Dumbledore smiled, "Excellent. But I think you should read this before you go anywhere." He then nudged an envelope into her small hands.

Thank you for reading. I apologise for not updating sooner. If you wish to read replies to your reviews please visit my live journal page  you will find review replies, and information when I will be updating next…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

James sat on the edge of the deserted drive-way absentmindedly spinning his new wand in his finger-tips while he scowled at the gathering darkness showing profound hatred at the sight.

The last days of summer were dwindling and been forgotten, especially by the young boy sitting alone on his drive-way waiting impatiently for company.

James wished he could speed up time to three days ahead where he would be boarding The Hogwarts Express. Don't get the wrong idea James loved the summer holidays; unlimited days of lazing around home and the excessive sleep-ins.

But the truth was, James hated being cut off from the world around him, he hated watching the children in his street getting excited about pointless electronic devices and incredibly slow bikes.

For James never had any of that, and therefore envied the simplicity of the lives surrounding him. The children waited, the way he was, on the drive-way of their houses until the familiar vehicle became visible on the horizon at exactly the same time every day their parents would return home. Their days were predictable.

But James's parents were as unpredictable as their jobs. They weren't builders, plumbers, real estate representatives or even mechanics as was the children's parent's who surrounded him.

No, they weren't any of that. If James gave the children around him the chance to guess they would never think of their occupation in a million years.

They were Aurors.

What are Aurors you may ask? James laughed softly at his thoughts, the scene of explaining what an Auror was to a simple non-magical child, or muggle.

They were the rare strain of witches and wizards who decided at a young age to bring criminals to justice and put them in a place of horror and unhappiness. The wizard prison Azkaban.

James shuddered at the thought of the prison but bubbled with an inexpressible form of hatred and envy toward the child whom he would be describing this horrid place to. Their faces would be wrapped with fascination and excitement because they have no knowledge of such a place existing.

There was that jealousy again, James thought with exhaustion, as he felt his head fall into his open hands.

James didn't think his parents' job was special or heroic or anything along those lines. Infact, he loathed the love they had for their jobs, the love that made them forget about the little things James had kept dear to him during his early years of life.

Such as coming home at dark, or never leaving the house. Spending countless hours with James to make him laugh at every moment, shower him with love and affection, and even be present on the morning that James had received his letter from the school he had wanted to attend since he was a small child.

The wish of his life had been fulfilled, but he had no one to share it with. Only the echoing silence of a large house and the surrounding fields of grass. The lawn of grass blessed with a healthy green glow even when the dry summer air cracks the ground around it.

The neighbours believed it was blessed by an old wise man; who had called by the house years before. This was when James had first heard about the school of magic.

Then came James's eleventh birthday; in the month of July. He had believed, like previous years, his parents would take some time off from their jobs and spend the day with him. But that had not been the case this year. They were busy with a new criminal, a new problem to the world of magic. This wizard had killed countless muggles and had begun to kill any witch or wizard who stood in his way.

This man was Voldemort.

Now this small fact frightened James. Why did it have to be his parents' who had being given the task to capture him? James had read this information in the newspaper on the front page. He was not told by his parents as he had hoped so that his fears would be put to rest with soothing words. He hated the papers for publicising it! It told Voldemort exactly what was happening along with every other witch and wizard in the country.

And now as the darkness swallowed him, he wished he had parents that came home at dark every night. He wished his parents had the problems of bills and car troubles instead of becoming the new target of Voldemort's attacks. Hell, he would give up his place at Hogwarts for his parents to be erased from Voldemort's hit list

He wished he was as normal as the children around him, and not the boy who never talks; the boy of mystery. For that was James's life, a mystery about to unfold. He had no friends to share this with. But he was sure that was about to change with the upcoming journey to Hogwarts and be around children like him self and finally be understood.

He raised himself from the grass and brushed himself off quickly glancing up at the horizon lit by a pair of approaching head-lights of a car. He heard a distant excited squeal of "Mummy! I think that that is daddy coming!" James turned his back on the voice and began to climb the stone steps leading to the front door.

He opened the door and strained his eyes to see his surroundings in the darkness.

He hated the darkness; it made him feel unhappy and lonely.

He looked down at the wand in his hand with the mischievous thought, no one will ever know.

He then waved the wand, and looked on in wonderment as the room blazed into life; the oil-lamps were lit one by one. James smiled as the light warmed his skin pleasantly

"Mr. Potter, what do you think you are doing? You know the rules, no magic!"

James closed his eyes tightly as he recognized the voice.

He turned to see the smiling faces of his parents.

Lily stared at the letter in Dumbledore's hand with astonishment. She saw her name on the envelope.

She held out a small shaky hand and Dumbledore gave it to her, watching her steadily.

"Where did you find it?" Lily asked in a whisper.

"It was propped against a photo frame. Easily missed by you, of course that is understandable." Dumbledore replied

She touched the ink which formed of her name sadly for a long while tracing her fingers over the 'L' then the 'I'. Lily then pulled the back flap open and stared at her mother's favourite stationary. The paper, her mother's favourite pen's ink visible on the page. Lily felt tears prickle threateningly at her eyes but she blinked them away irritably.

She pulled the letter out of the envelope and was immediately entranced by the softness of the paper and the perfume which lingered in the air around the letter.

The tears built up further making it harder to keep them at bay.

She unfolded the letter and looked to the top of the tear stained page.

She stared silently at her mother's delicately formed words and sighed "What will a letter hold?" Lily whispered, conscious of the volume in her voice gradually rising "They are just words! Ink on paper! I don't care what this letter says. They are dead and that's all that matters. They have left me alone in this world and they think that a letter will make everything better? I think not!" She clenched her small fist and crumpled the once flawless letter.

Lily breathed in deeply, unaware of her shaking limbs or her tearing eyes.

Lily blinked back the threatening tears stubbornly, unwilling to cry.

"Was the man who did this a wizard? Was he magic?" Lily asked Dumbledore with a hint of malice, not bothering looking at the parchment, she knew what was found on there.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied as he glanced at the ceiling "But don't let the bad over ride the good, Miss Evans, for if that were the case we would all be doomed to evil"

Lily pulled a chair out from the table and sat heavily upon it, while Dumbledore continued to stand.

"Miss Evans, I ask your permission to move your -"

"Yes" Lily cut him off abruptly "Yes please! I don't want to see them."

He turned away from her. Lily followed hysterically, wondering if it was the right thing to do. Was ready to see them disappear?

Dumbledore walked up to the couple on the floor and waved his wand. Lily turned her head to watch her parents slowly fade from view for the last time. Her head fell into her hands as soon as the bodies were out of sight "I can't believe they knew and didn't tell me!" Lily yelled suddenly, looking up at Dumbledore helplessly.

Dumbledore frowned "I'm sure they believed they were doing the right thing, Lily. They were protecting you."

"Lying more like," Lily sighed "Professor, may I please be left alone?"

Dumbledore inclined his head "Of course. I will organise an associate of mine to collect you in the morning to buy your school supplies."

"Fine." Lily snapped coldly, knowing all the while she shouldn't be lashing out at the one person who had helped her and was the most truthful of all she had ever known.

"I beg you to get some rest, Miss Evans. You have a long day ahead of you."

With that he turned from the room and left.

As soon as the door closed securely on its latch the promised tears fell, the tears that were not supposed to fall for a life time.

She crawled into a corner, sobbing and shaking until exhaustion forced her from consciousness though the tears continued to consistently fall. Her hand relaxed on the letter clutched in her small hand and it fluttered to the ground, flattening as though with magic. The moonlight shining through the windows illuminated her parent's last farewell "We shall forever be with you, in blood and spirit."

"What do you think your doing James! Magic out side of school! That is not aloud!" Susanna Potter asked with a hint of mocked anger.

James smiled at his mother's tone, it was the same tone of voice, she had used when he accidentally set fire to the house. "I apologise for my actions, Mum." James said charmingly "I just couldn't help it, having the feeling of it in my hand just got too much for me, and you know how much I hate the dark," James gave his mother a reproachful look, as his father stifled a laugh.

Susanna Potter smiled faintly "Keep it in the box it came in if you can't control yourself. Darkness is only the absence of light you have no need to fear it," she said rattled off quickly as she embraced James in a tight hug.

"That's a bit rich coming from you, Mum, the one that puts away bad wizards day in, day out" James say appraisingly.

"How about some dinner eh?" Susanna said quickly, a deep red glow appearing on her cheeks.

At that moment James's stomach rumbled loudly. Both his parents turned around in amazement causing James to smile lightly "Yeah, dinner would be great"

Susanna and Paul Potter smiled at their son, in just three days, he was to attend Hogwarts, and they knew it would be the experience of his life as it had been for them.

James smiled brightly as he followed his parents into the kitchen, these were the moments he'd miss the most when he goes away to school, spending these late evenings in the kitchen with his parents, he was sure they felt the same way.

On entry to the kitchen Susanna pointed her wand at a few well chosen object.

The items began to prepare themselves respectively. The potatoes were cleaned and skinned immediately, the red meat sliced with one of the sharp kitchen knives and the vegetables began to be sliced, peeled and diced.

James sighed deeply as the smell of sizzling meat reached his nose; he sat down on a stool by the counter.

"So what did you get up to today, James? Mischief I presume?" Paul asked as his eyebrows raised themselves a fraction. He waved his wand lazily making a bowl of fresh bread rolls appear floating in mid-air and set them on the table James took one immediately.

"You know the usual, watched the neighbours come and go and the children argue about their toys. Watched the grass grow for a bit," James replied with a hint of longing to get out and see something other than the surrounding grounds.

"And what a lovely lawn of grass it is!" Paul called as he took a bite of his roll. When James continued to look lost and confused he said "Don't sound so down-hearted boy! In a few days you will be off to Hogwarts! You will have the time of your life I guarantee it." Paul winked.

James forced a smile. He was worried about leaving, worried about the school and the people in it. The Potters were a well-known family throughout the magical world. James was not used to this attention. He didn't like to be stared at, all because of his parents' professions. That was the reason he had kept himself hidden all summer, the last days of his sanctuary fading away in no more than a few days.

"Did you hear about the Blacks?" Susanna was asking Paul as James pulled him self back to the conversation at hand and away from his thoughts.

"Of course I have! I work at the desk next to you don't I?" Paul asked taking off his glasses tiredly and rubbing them on his midnight blue robes.

Susanna gave him a playful shove and ruffled his hair "Yeah, well that may be the case, but you didn't hear the conversation I was having with Rebecca this arvo. You had your head stuck in a filing cabinet as usual," Susanna said with a laugh.

"I did not have my head stuck in a filing cabinet. It was a spell book for your information. I was researching Voldemort's use of spells. Which is our job, I will remind you, not gossiping about the Black family." Paul retorted smartly, looking over at his wife with an adoring gaze. He took another bite of his roll as Susanna placed a plate of meat, mash potato and vegetables in front of both him and

James. In the process Susanna knocked the bread roll out of Paul's hand "What was that for!" Paul asked as he quickly swung under the table to retrieve the bread roll.

"Your dinner is right there! Don't fill up on bread!" Susanna scolded as she also sat down at the dining table. Susanna frowned when James and Paul both ripped up their bread rolls and added the shredded pieces to their plates. Ignoring this, the best she could, Susanna continued "Anyway, as I was saying. Do you know about all the crimes of muggle cruelty the Black family were convicted for? Well guess what?" Susanna paused for a moment to look at her husband as he froze mid-bite to listen "Their son, is to be attending Hogwarts this year with you James and from what I've heard -"

"Which is quite a lot it seems" Paul cut in earning another punch in the arm from Susanna.

Susanna rolled her eyes and continued "- from what I've heard he is a nasty piece of work." Paul opened his mouth as though he were about to interrupt but Susanna continued "Not only that, but he is a master mind! Smarter than any other Black the wizarding world has seen, which is saying quite a lot considering they are gifted in many ways. But this one is different. No one can pin point exactly what it is."

James shuddered; this boy seemed like the type of person which will make his life at Hogwarts unbearable.

"Why did you tell James that, Susie?" Paul asked.

"I just think that James could show him a thing or two. You know, he made the lamps ignite without knowing a spell for it, maybe he can give him hell and change his ways?" Susanna said as she shrugged.

James stared at his parents with wonderment. Why must i have Aurors as parents? James asked himself as he took another bite of his dinner, not as hungry as he was before.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Warm summer sunlight filtered in through the fragments of glass not smothered by the heavy drapes drawn over the windows. It crept throughout the quiet house, illuminating the rooms and dousing the furniture in a faint light so they cast gloomy shadows on the walls.

A young girl tensed her expression as haunting scenes flashed in her dreams, causing her eyes to roll madly beneath their lids. She whimpered quietly, though no one was present to comfort her. A single tear escaped from beneath her thick eyelashes and seeped down her awaiting cheek.

The wind whispered to the trees, the birds called to each other in one continuous cry. It seemed as though the world had not been affected by the loss of the two owners of this little house in a suburb of hundreds. Life went on. Cars reversed from driveways and sped away to start another day of work, children cried out for their mothers to tend to their cuts and annoyances.

The young girl with the head of blood red curls groaned again, her eye lids fluttering open and closed in her unconsciousness.

There was a bang of a car door close by and Lily awoke with a start, letting her arms drop from their place of rest on her knees. She sighed and stretched her aching legs which had been bent into her chest; she had hugged them in her sleep unconsciously trying to gain some much needed comfort. Lily wiped her moist eyes, though the tears had long ago evaporated leaving her cheeks sticky from the salty liquid.

She rose to her feet slowly, ignoring her father's favourite chair and the countless photo frames showing heart wrenching memories. Lily shook her head trying to rid herself of the dreams she had endured during the night. She knew they would never entirely disappear.

She walked into the kitchen. Her mouth was dry and ached for moisture. She had not had anything to eat or drink since the night before the life she once knew had crumbled to a heap of dust at her feet.

Lily's stomach growled loudly at the thought of food. But she couldn't eat. Even the mere thought of food made her sick with guilt. Her parents were dead, they were never to eat again. And here she was, the survivor of the attack... why should she be given the privilege?

She walked through the house mutely. All the rooms were dark from the drawn curtains, though she could see the light attempting to penetrate the room. Lily walked up to them as though in a dream staring at the material blocking the sun light. It was then a thought occurred to her as though someone invisible had whispered in her ear; Who was she to give up on life when her parents had lost theirs so she could have hers? Who was she to hide away from the world behind drawn curtains wishing she would be forgotten? She could not and would not let that happen. She had a life to live, even if she meant without the people she loved the most.

And with this last fading thought, Lily pulled back the curtains and was instantly bathed in the summer light. It warmed her cool flesh, and her broken heart. She almost felt like smiling when such a day was given to her so effortlessly. But a smile was not about to make an appearance on Lily's face for a long time yet, but she knew it would happen again when she was once again truly happy.

What she saw momentarily shocked her, though she couldn't say she hadn't expected it.

Albus Dumbledore sat cross legged on her lawn as though in a state of complete awareness, given the fact that he was currently dozing. His head and back were straight, but his face was relaxed along with his eyes closed.

Lily blinked a few times to make sure she was not seeing things, nor that it was just a trick of the light however impressive that trick maybe.

It was when she finally accepted the sight her eyes beheld that Professor Dumbledore's eyes sprang open. He turned his head slightly and smiled at Lily by her window, then rose slowly to his feet brushing off his long magenta robes as he did so.

He turned completely to face the house, and the window Lily was at and waved merrily at her, then he was gone as though instantly.

Lily blinked quickly again, hoping that she had just imagined everything and turned away from the window. Giving herself a slight shake of the head she left the window hastily and crept along the wall averting her eyes from the offending window as much as she could.

She crept up the stairs and entered the bathroom for a much needed shower. She closed and locked the door on entry, having become slightly paranoid. Lily then slid out of her pajamas she had been wearing for the past few days and jumped into the shower, letting the warm water sooth her broken, cold heart.

Lily lapsed into automatic mode, her hands seemed to know exactly were everything was in the shower without her eyes giving assistance. She numbly washed her hair, only slightly aware of the familiar fruity smell of the shampoo that used to be her mothers' favourite. The water continued to rush over her head, rinsing the soap from her thick red hair, while her hands rubbed together a cake of soap to produce a lather of thick, soapy bubbles to wash her body with. Steam rose into the air and clouded the mirror and shower windows. Time seemed to stand still as she continued to wash the daily grime from her skin. Just as Lily was finally starting to feel a little normal once again from these blessed chores there came a loud, echoing knock at the front door down stairs.

Lily jumped with a start, finally awakening to the water rushing over her head, the steamy room she was standing in and now the continuous, urgent knock at the door. With a sigh Lily turned off the water, stepped out of the shower and towelled herself dry quickly. She dressed hurriedly in clean jeans and top took her leave of the bathroom.

Skipping down the stairs in a rhythm she had created when she was a small girl, Lily approached the door warily.

Lily closed her eyes tightly as she turned the door handle and revealed two strangers on her doorstep.

James opened his eyes with a sudden jolt. Had it been the dream he had been having of long, sweeping hallways and large open grounds that had awoken him so suddenly?

Yes, that was it, James thought with a dejected sigh as he slowly swung his legs over the side of his bed and sat there staring out the window at another flawless summer's day. Why won't nature mimic my feelings for once? James thought to himself, why can't it be dark, dreary and threatening rain?

For James thought his coming journey to Hogwarts was to be both an exciting adventure and disaster.

He was going to a school that thought his parents to be gods, not to say the least James was not looking foreward to competing with such outstanding competition. He knew that Hogwarts would treat him the same how ever much he protested. James just hoped he would be allowed to prove himself to his peers and not just be a name with no story attached.

He could never make anyone forget about his parents; they were the ultimate of their kind, invincible. Or that's how James saw them, just like any small child would see their parents; they made the world turn the way it did - perfectly.

James wanted to work hard for the fame he now accumulated. He wanted to study hard in the ancient library his parents had told him about and train on the Quidditch Pitch just like his father had in his younger years at Hogwarts, but he had given it all up when he had met James's mother. Though, Paul Potter still harbored an obsession with broomsticks.

But though James wanted to be known, at the same time he wanted to be walked passed without a backwards glance, forgotten in a dark corner, or perhaps just be normal.

If he was to become famous in the future, James wanted to do it on his own, on his own terms, and not have to rely on his parents' popularity in the magical world to be known.

James rose to his feet and crossed his bedroom, on the way he picked up his wand from it's usual place on his chest of draws and went to the door.

Here he exited his bedroom and descended the stairs one by one. James loved his childhood home, but he was ecstatic about finally leaving the stubborn walls surrounding him, be free of it's barriers and limitations. He wanted to be free of his parents' name above all.

Who was he kidding? That was not possible.

James looked down at the wand in his hand as his legs guided him through the house. James remembered when he had bought his wand, given it had only been a few weeks ago. He knew he would never forget that faithful day when he had stood in the middle of the room in Mr. Ollivanders wand shop and waved the wand in his hand for the very first time. It was as though the magic he produced withdrew from his body and made it's way to his hands where it resided so that the wand, whenever taken up in James's fingertips,

could channel the magic and produce such wonder his parents were even surprised by.

James felt invincible whenever he held his wand even though he did not have any knowledge of any proper spells, but he knew if he thought about something, with a strong enough urge for it to happen, the charm occured perfectly. James knew his gift was he had no need for incantations.

James found himself wandering the empty rooms aimlessly, knowing full well he would not find what he was mindlessly searching for. Company.

His feet led him outside and onto the wide, sweeping grounds of the Potter Estate. James turned his head skyward and spotted a bird gliding carelessly above. James was suddenly drowning in envy; he wished he could fly. Infact, he knew he could fly, even though he had never tried it before, nor had been given permission by his parents. He had asked his parents' countless times for a broom but always they used the popular excuse "You're not old enough!".An incomplete excuse in James's opinion.

James frowned at the many memories holding these very same words. He knew he had been unsuccessful in gaining permission to fly hundreds of times. But he would never give up, he would never silence his dreams of owning his own broomstick. How old did he had to be to fly? How can there be an age limit?

James sat heavily on the green grass, looking wistfully up at the sky once more, and then laid down on the grass unable to break his gaze on his desire. To be like the clouds, the birds.

The sky, the freedom! What he wouldn't give to fly.

He stared at the clouds dreamily as they floated slowly across the sky.

James breathed in deeply, savoring the taste of the summer air for that extra moment.

He was going to miss the silence and yet he couldn't wait to distance himself from it and plunge himself into the noise and the troubles of the world.

Was he ready? He had been sheltered for so long.

James had gone to a muggle school, had had muggle friends but the friendships did not last very long. His life always felt incomplete because of that certain secret he obviously had to keep from his muggle friends, then the underlying secrets such as his parent's occupations, his wealth and for some strange reason the forever green lawns of the Potter Estate. Was it to be the same at Hogwarts?

Well of course not, everyone there was keeping the same secret.

Lily stared silently at the two smiling faces of the man and woman on her doorstep.

"Lily Evans?" The man asked gently, staring at Lily with a kind smile.

"Yes?" Lily asked curiously.

"Susanna and Paul Potter at your service," Paul said quickly, extending his hand.

Lily looked at his hand with wide eyes "You are friends of Dumbledore's?"

"Great friends" Paul nodded, "We are here to take you to Diagon Alley in London to buy you supplies."

Lily frowned, "Supplies for what?"

Susanna laughed lightly, and Lily automatically loved the sound "School of course!"

"Oh, but…" Lily attempted weakly. She looked at them silently, her emerald green eyes wide and pleading.

"What's wrong Lily?" Susanna asked, immediately drawn to Lily's height and staring into her eyes.

"I don't have any money" Lily whispered, her eyes growing yet wider and sparkling with tears "I can't go to Hogwarts, I can't go to Diagon Alley. I can't go anywhere." Lily hung her head. She had been hoping for escape, but bitter reality always had a way of breaking down any dreams that seemed to surface.

"You don't need money to get away from here," Paul reasoned "There are plenty of people who have heard about your predicament and are willing to help you out. So don't worry yourself about those unnecessary things."

Lily looked at Paul with confusion "Who would want to help me? I'm a stranger to them. Who would want to help me, let alone give me products that they need to sell to live?"

Susanna smiled "Every one of them."

Lily looked at her coldly "I don't want any ones charity."

"It won't be charity, Lily" Paul replied immediately "It'll be giving you a helpful hand in your time of need, I'm sure you would do the same if someone were in your position."

"Well, of course I would. But it doesn't mean that I want to take their wares for free. They have worked hard to produce such things, and for me to take and not give anything in return would be wrong of me. I was not brought up to take things from strangers Mr. and Mrs. Potter. I can't do it. What would my parents think?" Lily sniffed, down heartened and feeling the lowest she had in these past few days.

She had not thought, when she accepted Professor Dumbledore's invitation of attending his school, that money would be involved, nor a trip to a place she had never been with people she had never met.

Lily shook her head "I can't go to Hogwarts if I don't have supplies. It's a school of magic is it not? How am I supposed to do magic without a wand? Please, just leave me be." Lily attempted to close the front door on the pair but she was unsuccessful. Paul Potter's hand had gripped onto the side of the door and stopped it from closing.

"Such a simple thing as lack of money could not keep a witch attending Hogwarts. And also, your request of leaving you alone will not be fulfilled, we have our orders, we made a promise and we plan to keep it. Therefore, you will be coming with us whether you like it or not Miss Evans, and if you have such a problem with taking gifts from people who know you through the papers and are wanting to help you then we will pay for them." Paul said quickly, staring all the while into the girls eyes.

Lily's eyes narrowed with annoyance. "I don't even know you! I consider you a stranger too – "

"But you know our names Lily." Susanna cut in softly.

Lily looked at her from a moment, as though frozen by the sudden remarks. However, Lily could not be silenced that easily "Names are not enough Mrs. Potter. You can know the name of someone on the television screen, but that doesn't mean you know their habits, their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, loves, annoyances, dislikes… the list is endless. And a simple name could not ever hold all that information!" Lily breathed in deeply looking at Paul and Susanna as though they were mad. "Could you please just leave me alone?"

"But Lily, you are so very uneducated in the power of a _simple_ name. Just from knowing your name, I know you are head strong, loyal and devoted to your friends and family. You are powerful at heart and it takes a lot to bring you over the edge. You have a temper that comes out at the most inappropriate times, but you accept that and everyone that knows and loves you accepts that too. You have a mysterious quality, you don't like everyone to be able to predict every move you make. You are a social butterfly but enjoy long hours to yourself, reading a book beside a fire." Susanna's eyes were wide as she stepped towards Lily, her gaze intense "I know how much you yearn to understand why your parents were killed. And you blame yourself for it ever happening. You are angry with those that carried out the act, and everyone that doesn't understand what you are going through. Lily, we are not the ones that murdered your parents, and we are probably your best bet at finding a pair of people that understand what you are going through this very moment, for we live it every day. We are Aurors, protectors of the Magical World from all that is dark, evil and cunning. We bring those that have taken life, manipulated others away from those they threat and lock them in cells at Azkaban Prison. We populate that prison Lily, with the very same people who killed your parents. And we will do _anything_ to protect you from them."

A silent tear splashed down Lily's cheek as she stared into Susanna's sky blue eyes. She drew in a deep shuddering breath. Susanna drew Lily to her, wrapping her arms around Lily's small frame and cradling her as a mother would. Lily cried cried, hiding her face in Susanna's chest as she was rocked back and forth to try and comfort her.

Susanna made soothing sounds, whispering to her, ignoring Lily's apologies for her rudeness, her tears and her behavior. She asked Susanna's forgiveness and Susanna gave it too her immediately.

"Susie," Paul said softly. Susanna looked up, her eyes so dark with grief that she couldn't take her mind from the crying girl in her arms "we have to go, we cannot linger for too long here."

Susanna nodded, "I know."

Susanna pulled Lily from her chest and tilted Lily's downcast head to look at her "Now Lily, you must be strong."

Lily sniffed, rubbing her nose "I'm sorry Susanna, I'm so very sorry."

Susanna smiled kindly "Don't be sorry, sweetheart."

Paul smiled encouragingly as he waved his wand and a handkerchief appeared in mid air. This he handed to Lily. She took it gratefully "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Paul and Susanna said at the same time. Susanna's face softened "Now Lily, we have to get to Diagon Alley. School supplies are essential, though we could get away with only buying a wand."

"Where is Diagon Alley?" Lily asked curiously, wiping her emerald green eyes softly.

"In London."

"Oh. How are we getting there?" Lily asked as Susanna held out a hand to Lily. Lily took it immediately.

"By Portkey" Paul replied. After noticing the curious look on Lily's small, roundish face, he laughed lightly "Enough of these questions, you shall find out when we get there"

Lily fell silent, not wanting to annoy Paul any more. She looked at her hand clasped in Susanna's and for the first time in the past few days she actually felt safe. The familiar feeling of her hand being held caused her to force away the tears that seemed to be forever close to the surface these days, with alittle shake of her head. She was not going to cry for a long time, she had had enough of crying. It was exhausting. So now, she promised herself not to cry for a while, give her eyes time to recuperate

They walked down Lily's home street, Paul and Susanna looking this way and that every now and then. But not enough to cause Lily to be nervous or frightened, they were just making sure they were not been watched.

Susanna looked down at Lily as she walked overcome by a sudden impulse to tell Lily something about herself. She felt sorry for the young girl holding tight to her hand as though, she too, would disappear and never come back. Though she knew they had to give Lily over to her last remaining relatives at the end of the day, Susanna couldn't help but want to keep her as her own, never let her out of her sight again, keep her safe until the end of her days. She had to forget about such dreams, it was simply out of the question.

"You know I have a son around the same age as you?" Susanna enquired, knowing what answer she would receive.

"Really?" Lily asked immediately, curious of this boy and how he came to have parents such as these two kind people.

"Yes. He's name is James and he is the same age as you in fact, going to be in the same grade as you at Hogwarts." Susanna said proudly, happy that her son would have the chance to meet this wondrously gifted girl.

The reply from Lily was not what she had expected though "But you are so young."

Susanna and Paul looked at each other and smiled "How old do you think we are?"

Lily thought for a moment "Twenty?"

Susanna's heart melted "Oh, that is sweet of you, but we are much older than that."

"Susie, don't give away our secrets!" Paul said in a mocking threatening voice.

"Oh shh you, I know that you want all the young girls at the office to believe you are what you appear to be but really we are double that." Susanna informed while Paul hung his head in dismay.

"That means you are…" Lily thought for a moment, adding the two numbers together "That means you are forty years old?" Lily pulled a face.

Susanna laughed loudly "Oh I love that reaction, see her face Paul?"

"I wasn't trying to be rude" Lily defended quickly, "Was just a shock that's all."

"Well Lily, there are a few differences from Muggles to Magical people. Muggles are non-magical people." Susanna informed seeing the look of confusion on Lily's face.

"So my parents were Muggles?"

Susanna nodded.

"So that means I am…"

"Muggle-born, half and half, though there are a few things that you will find out about your heritage by the end of the day. But right now I was explaining the aging effect on Witches and Wizards alike. You see, we don't age as much as Muggles, the magic keeps us together, so to speak. So, what I am saying is we could be one hundred and fifty and only look seventy-five."

"Really? And even though I am only half witch, will this happen to me too?" Lily asked intrigued.

Susanna nodded "Yes of course, any ounce of magic in your blood preserves you."

Lily gasped "Wow, that is amazing."

"You haven't seen the last of it" Paul remarked as they came to a stop beneath an old oak tree.

"Why have we stopped here?" Lily asked curiously looking around and seeing nothing of significance.

"The Portkey is around here somewhere…" Paul trailed off as he's eyes widened as they caught sight of a soiled newspaper under a layer of fallen leaves. "There! Near the tree," Paul exclaimed running to the newspaper and taking hold of it.

He held it out to Lily, and Lily saw a bolded headline read "Muggles killed in surprise attack by Death Eaters" below the title of _The Daily Prophet._

"Lily, touch the paper." Susanna commanded suddenly.

"We have thirty seconds, Susie" Paul warned.

Lily stared at the paper, the head line and the black and white picture of a huge hazy form in the sky above her house. The skull with the serpent slithering from it's mouth frightened Lily a lot. "I – I can't."

"Of course you can Lily." Susanna said strongly.

"Touch the damn paper, Lily" Paul demanded.

Lily sighed and brushed the tip of her finger against the surface of the paper. That was all the portkey needed it seemed for she was immediately thrown forward, as though traveling a distance at spectacular speeds.

And after a moment, she fell, and the ground caught her. She groaned, feeling her knees ache once again. It was then that a helpful hand appeared in front of her face. Susanna and Paul Potter stood above her smiling. Susanna laughed at Lily's shocked expression "Don't worry you will get used to it one day."

Lily took her hand while she grumbled "How could anyone ever get used to that?"

"It was worth it, though. Wasn't it?" Paul questioned "Lily Evans, welcome to The Leaky Cauldron."

James had been lying on the green grass facing the cloud strewn blue sky for many hours, or maybe it was minutes.

Time didn't matter to James. The whisper of the wind as it ruffled his messy black hair didn't receive an ounce of acknowledgement. James was carefree and a dreamer.

He continuously dreamed of what it would be like to fly, to be at Hogwarts; of its many passages, its food, its corridors and its secrets. James wanted to discover all the secrets! Every one of them! He wanted to make friends with the giant squid, clean every glass pane of the glasshouses, talk back to every teacher (at least once) and have his own little circle of friends. He wanted to make his time at Hogwarts count.

James wondered if Hogwarts would live up to his expectations. He won't know until he got there.

James pulled himself up into a sitting position and looked towards the road. There was nothing new to be seen around him, though James would have to of been a fool to hope for such a thing.

Everything in the Potter Estate was controlled, from the visitors allowed to come to the house, or the shade of green the lawn was. Odd appearances of things didn't just happen, there had to be a glitch in the charm James's mother or father had performed. And that, to say the least, happened very rarely.

He got up off the grass and walked to the house.

Nothing out of the ordinary had occurred in James's absence. but then again nothing happened that was out of the ordinary. Everything fit that category in relation to James's life.

He walked lazily up the stone steps, brushing past a maid at the tenth step as she went to tend to the gardens. James looked up to see at least another ten steps to over come until he was on the front door's platform. He usually made a game of getting up these "Twenty Steps of Death", but today the summer heat was getting to him, the moisture in the air had soaked into the t-shirt he had worn to bed and was beginning to make him slightly irritated.

James gave up and collapsed on the tenth step.

He looked around the grounds; he could see a great deal of land from this height.

He looked over the, almost blinding, green grass compared to the brown dusty excuse for lawns covering the neighbours' grounds. James turned his head from left to right, then back again.

That was when something out of the ordinary, even by James's standards, occurred.

This something was about to change James's life from that moment on.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A shadowy figure appeared in the distance. Black robes fell to its feet. Then it collapsed to the ground as though from exhaustion.

James descended the stairs quickly and ran towards the figure, unable to break his gaze or silence his questions. The green grass rippled beneath his feet as he sprinted across the lawn. He would not stop until he came to the figure. He would not rest until he understood how it had appeared.

As he came closer James discovered the black clad figure to be a child, a boy around the same age as James. Suddenly fearful, James stopped short of the body on the ground.

James's breathing came in quick, short gasps as he attempted to calm himself and become rational. This may not be a cause for concern. This may just be one of those things that his parents may have over looked when they had cast their protective charms and such things.

But though James continued to reassure himself as the boy groaned on the ground, he thought it best to let it be known that he was armed with a wand, and he was not afraid to use it. And use it he may have to do if the situation did become dangerous.

Gripping his wand firmly in his hand, James pointed it at the back of the boy and gathered some air into his lungs "Who are you?" He demanded. So far so good, James thought quickly, looking around to see if any of the maids of the Potter household had noticed his disappearance, and wondering if they would come to his aid if things got messy.

"Who wants to know?" Came a whisper from the ground.

James tensed. The voice sounded so hollow, so uncaring that it sparked some embarrassment in James's mind. Was he over reacting?

"I asked you first" James retorted, taking his wand in both his hands to stop it from visibly shaking.

"You're the one pointing that wand at me for no reason. Do you think I am a threat?" The boy asked somewhat casually.

"Yes I think you are a threat" James said slowly, "I think anything is a threat."

The boy gave a hollow chuckle of amusement "That's wise" he said simply. He rolled over at that moment and James saw his young face, dark hair, and deep grey eyes. "What if I said you should fear me, that I was a threat? Would you curse me into oblivion then?" the boy asked somewhat innocently.

James thought for a moment "Yes, yes I would."

The boy smiled "What if I told you that I knew you had just been given that wand, and that you knew no proper spells?"

James faltered "I would say that you were right."

The boy's eyes brightened as he barked with laughter "I thought so. But I do give you permission to attempt to curse me into oblivion"

James frowned "Why's that?"

The smile fell from the boys lips "Because oblivion is a lot better than home." He looked to the sky and sighed wistfully "Nice day isn't it?"

James looked at the boy strangely "Who are you?" he asked again.

The boy turned his gaze back on James "I'm sure you have heard of me or my family at some point in your life." He challenged looking at James with amusement "But it's best to keep my identity secret because well, you don't know who could be listening."

James smiled at the boy. He obviously was from some old wizarding family to have such worries "You're a pure blood?" James asked quickly.

"Yes, I am" the boy replied, his eyes twinkling.

"Well don't worry; this house is protected by all forms of charms to stop any unauthorized person spying on the house. That includes listening to conversations held within these grounds you know."

The boy stared at him for a long moment "You're a Potter." He said flatly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

James was unnerved. How could the boy tell just from that simple sentence?

"It's obvious you know," the boy went on "Everyone knows the Potter Estate is protected by everything you just mentioned. And seeing this grass..." He plucked out a strand of grass and twisted it in his finger tips "It was a dead give away to say the least."

James frowned "Can I know who you are now?" James asked quickly.

"Nope" the boy replied simply.

James looked at him, extremely annoyed "Then tell me how you came to be sitting here now?"

The boy looked up at James, then patted some grass beside him "Take a seat, I know I get more cranky when I am standing whilst others are sitting"

James obliged and sat beside the boy.

The boy dramatically cleared his throat and began his tale "Now seeing as you are a Potter, the only child of this generation. You probably have no idea what it feels like to be cursed into oblivion do you?"

James shook his head slowly "You were cursed into oblivion?"

The boy smiled "Well obviously not. You see my mother isn't the best witch in history, and when she thinks oblivion it usually ends up been some large stretch of something continuous like the ocean or a paddock or in this case a huge lawn of grass."

"You've been cursed into the ocean before?" James asked quickly.

The boy stared at him, with no hint of a smile on his face "Think I would lie about something like that? No, of course not. It was the worse experience of my life, thought I was going to drown, then realized I couldn't. So I just floated there for a week or two until I was brought back home."

"A week or two!" James said, simply astounded.

"Yeah, longest week or two ever recorded in history. By the end of it I was hoping that I would just sink, or get eaten by the sharks that seemed to be, thankfully, repelled by me." The boy said broodingly.

"What did you do for that to happen?" James asked out of curiosity.

"First day I got my wand I somehow changed my brother into a slug. Best fun I ever had, worth every minute in the water" the boy replied, his eyes glazed over with memories of that moment.

"So what did you do this time?" James asked, completely enthralled by the boys presence. He hadn't spoken to anyone for such a long time in weeks, and he couldn't help but drink up the company. Hadn't this been what he wished for? Someone to talk to, to laugh with, be friends with?

Apparently happy to tell the tale, the boy continued "Well last night, my mother held a dinner party for all the big names in town, though of course your parents were not invited -" the boy winked, and James took this information to be another hint of the identity of the boy "- Everything was going splendidly, as it so often did. That is until I was introduced as the newest wizard of my family to be attending Hogwarts this year."

"You're going to Hogwarts too?" James interrupted.

The boy stared at him for a long moment "What other school would I go to?"

James nodded in understanding and gestured to the boy to continue.

"Well I got up, and was pushed towards a platform where I was supposed to make some little speech which included thanking my parents for life and all that jazz. Well I got up there, took out my speech and read "I would like to thank myself for everything I have done, if it wasn't for me I wouldn't know where I would be so thanks again to me" I sat down amid an uproar of disapproval. I didn't understand why, because well, my parents weren't all that interested in what I was doing it was mainly my younger brother. But anyway, my mother chased me all around the house, until she cornered me and cursed me into 'oblivion'. If only she knew that she has never got the curse right once, I would love to see the look on her face!" the boy concluded.

James chuckled "That would have been priceless!"

The boy smiled "Oh, it was. The annoying thing about this cursing thing is the length of time it takes for me to appear in the place, and actually be _conscious_ to it. A whole day passes, I finally appear here, and then my mother sees fit to bring me back just as I start to find out exactly where I am. It's down right annoying!"

"Well at least you know where you are this time round" James said hopefully.

"Yeah, I guess"

They lapsed into silence both boys absentmindedly picking out the grass.

"So... are you a Malfoy, a Black, a Longbottom or a Wesley?" James asked finally.

The boy looked up, his grey eyes staring through James. His eyes scared James, they seemed so cold and sad. But he had a sense of humor that could rival any other James had ever encountered. His eyes only warmed when he smiled, or joked about his predicament. It was strange to James, that someone that could laugh at himself so easily could have such lifeless eyes. It occurred to James as he held the boys gaze that he was in fact seeing the boy's soul. It was dead. It seemed that no love had ever penetrated it, and at once James felt sorry for the boy.

"Which is the obvious?" the boy challenged.

James thought for a moment. The Malfoy Family; but James pushed the thought away, the known trait of that family was the long white blonde hair and the ice blue eyes, James shuddered at the very thought. The Malfoys were the Potter Family's enemy; they always had been however far back their blood carried through the generations long ago. Whatever the other traits of the family whom marries into the Malfoy family is bred out in one hit, the blonde hair and blue eyes were the dominant trait, they always had been.

James took in the appearance of the boy again; dark hair almost black, his piercing grey eyes.

Obviously not a Malfoy.

The Weasleys: A respected family, known for the acceptance of muggle-borns into the magical schools and outlawing the discrimination against them. They had also silenced the bickering between the old families, forever arguing about their different views and values. Also their well-known trait was red hair, and James couldn't see a strand of red in the mass of dark hair on the boy's head.

The other was his own family the Potters. The Potters were known for their unwavering dominance in the producing of the most fine and powerful Aurors ever seen this age. There unquestionable allegiance to the good of the magical world was the most well known trait to the magical public. James was the only member of his generation, his father's brothers and sisters had been killed in countless raids before James was even born.

Then there were the last known pure blood family he had knowledge of -.

"Black" James finally said, they were the lowest of low, known for their undying hate of muggle-borns, the torture of countless witches and wizards who come in there way of their goal, to be the most powerful pure blood family and for their continuous rivalry with the Weasleys. And not to say the least; the Blacks were well known to be on excellent terms with the Malfoys. That been said, many member's of the Black and Malfoy families had married, so in other words they were the largest family known in all of Britain, reaching their goal easily. It would come as no surprise that the Blacks were also an enemy of the Potters.

The boy looked up at the mention of his last name and James immediately saw his eyes darken defensively "So you have found out the truth. What are you going to do now? Call your parents to rid of me? Surely, you have been warned against having any thing to do with me."

"I have" James replied simply. "But that doesn't mean I have to believe it. You are nothing like what my parents have described to me. You're not manipulating in anyway."

Black smiled darkly "Are you sure about that?"

"I -" James faltered as he watched the boy rise to his feet and start walking away.

James stood up quickly and watched the small, dark figure walk away. Should I follow him? Before James even knew what he was doing, he was tailing the boy. He broke into a run when the boy did not pause. "Black! Come back!"

"NO!" Black screamed. He suddenly froze, his head downcast.

James ran up to the boy and stood in front of him, blocking him from walking away yet again "Please, don't leave."

Black looked up and immediately James noticed the tears in his eyes, saw the distress in his young face "Just let me go, James. It's best for both of our families if you just let me go and never speak of this again. I have a lot to live up to you know. My parents have been training me since I was a little kid. You think I wanted all of that? You think I wanted to be locked in a room filled with books instead of playing outside in the sunlight? I didn't want any of it! But it is the person I am. The family I was born to. The reason I rebel is because I want them to one day just forget about me, let me go. But like you, they won't."

"I'm sorry" James whispered at a loss for anything else to say.

"You're not sorry. You're thankful, thankful you didn't end up been me! Everyone is!" Black bellowed "Now let me go!"

James stood a side, shocked and angry that he could not do anything to help the poor boy. He turned and watched the boy that was a Black walk away from him, and then a thought occurred to him.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

Black stopped and turned. Even from a distance James could see the tears now spilling onto his cheeks.

"Goodbye, Sirius" James called across the grass.

It was then that James witnessed something amazing. Sirius Black wiped his eyes hurriedly. He lifted his hand in farewell and shouted "Goodbye, James Potter." And with that he turned on the spot and disappeared.

* * *

"Leaky Cauldron?" Lily asked quickly, as she took both Susanna and Paul's hands and was hoisted to her feet. She brushed herself off as she looked around her. They were in London, but it was a little quieter where they were standing. It was a dark alley way, hidden from the sight of many walking the pathways out in the open.

Lily turned her head every which way, trying to take in as much as she could. Even though this wasn't the prettiest part of London, it was surely a wonder.

Susanna took Lily's hand and slowly led her out of the alley way and to stand in the middle of two shops, though they weren't open. The windows of both were boarded up with large pieces of wood. Nails had been hammered into the wood haphazardly as though in a great rush to finish the job and flee. Curious, Lily spied a scribbled note pushed in between the panels. It read "_Vacated because of unnatural occurrences, do not enter._"

Susanna and Paul laughed when they too read the note. "Muggles can be such worry warts," Susanna said with a shake of her head. "That was just Tom, the inn keeper, singing in the shower."

"Singing in the shower could frighten them that much that they left their shop?" Lily asked tearing her eyes way from the sign.

Susanna and Paul looked at each other with identical knowing grins "Take my word for it, Lily. When Tom showers, don't be within a hundred meter radius of the pub!" Paul exclaimed.

"What pub?" Lily asked immediately, looking around at the many shop fronts, but not seeing anything that looked distinctly like a pub at all.

Susanna put a caring arm around Lily's shoulders and turned her to face in between the two shops she had turned away from "Look closer, Lily."

Lily stepped forward a few steps, squinting into the shadows. A building seemed to come out at her in the gloom, dusty windows lit with an orange glow however bright the streets were. A large door barricaded those inside, shielding the occupants from prying eyes and the blinding sun. Lily gasped as more distinguishing features were made apparent to her eyes, until a sign materialized out of nowhere forming the words the Leaky Cauldron.

"Can you see it now, Lily?" Paul asked gently, smiling widely at the unhidden wonder on the small girl's face.

"Yes I do. I see it all" Lily whispered.

Without waiting for Paul or Susanna, Lily approached the pub apprehensively. She walked up to the door and stared at the brass knocker in the shape of two full glasses of mead clinking together. Lily reached and stretched but she was unfortunately not tall enough. Suddenly Lily's feet left the ground; she was been lifted to the height of the knocker! She turned her head to see Paul smiling at her "Thank me later" he whispered as she reached out a small hand and tentatively banged the knocker twice.

Immediately Lily's ears opened to noises beyond the door. Paul lowered her to the ground and Lily quickly took his hand, hiding behind him. There was a shuffling, a grunt and a bout of whispered endings of conversations as all fell silent within the pub.

The Lily heard a call of "Oi TOM! Get your dancing arse over here! There is someone at the door and I'd be stuffed if I'm going to get me self out of this nice little booth to see who it is!"

"Martha, keep your bloody voice down!" A reply came through the ding of hushes.

"I was only saying to answer the door. This is your pub after all" Martha's slurred words replied.

There was a loud, resounding sigh "Keep your bloody rags on woman, I'm getting there. Just need to pour Johnny here another drink."

There was a pause as echoing trickling came from inside, then a soft explosion.

A man laughed loudly "How do you get it to blow up like that, Tom?"

"It's all skill, my friend." Tom replied

There were echoing footsteps coming closer, Lily tightened her grip on Paul's hand instinctively.

The door was suddenly thrown open to reveal a mid aged man, already balding, smiling at them with a broad one tooth smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Potter what a pleasure it is! Sorry to keep you waiting! If I had known it was you I would have been here in a flash! Come in, come in! I insist. Harriet get outta that seat the Potter's are here!" Tom then took both arms of Susanna and Paul and dragged them over the threshold.

Susanna and Paul automatically placed warm smiles on their lips as drunken witches and wizards crowded around them drowning them with questions.

"What are you doing here?"

"How's your little boy? He'd be attending Hogwarts this year hey?"

"Yeah! I saw him just the other week when you bought his school supplies."

"Wow really? Oh that boy will be as gifted as you two. Don't you think?"

"So what brings you back here?"

"Up for a few rounds, Paul?"

"Hey, Susie! Your not one to say no to a drink or two! You never said no to one in school."

"What's this you've got here? I didn't think you had a daughter."

Everyone in the room went quiet as they all focused, as best they could, on the little red head clinging to Paul's hand.

Paul smiled encouragingly at Lily before introducing her "Everyone, this is Lily Evans."

There was a pause as everyone in the pub jumped to their feet to get a better look at Lily. Then applause broke out "Why I never!" A man called throughout the sudden bout of excitement.

Lily focused on the ground, not used to this sort of attention.

"Is that the one the Daily Prophet did a front page story about? Her parents died in that attack the other night, didn't they?"

Lily felt Paul's hand tense a little in hers in, what she supposed was, a comforting gesture. He knelt down beside her and whispered in her ear "When ever you are ready to go, just say the word."

Susanna watched Lily look around at the kind smiles of the patrons in the pub "Yeah, I'm ready to go."

Paul stood up immediately "Alright people, enough of this gawking. We must be off. Now you have a good time in this dingy place while we have fun in the sunlight!" He laughed good-naturedly as a toast was ordered in his name.

"Good luck, Lily" A few wizards by the bar called out as Lily was led by Paul and Susanna past them.

"Follow me Mr. and Mrs. Potter" Tom said hurriedly, jumping in front of them so he could be the one to escort them through his pub.

"We know the way, Tom" Susanna said, laughing at the man hobbling in front of them "Why don't you get back to the bar before there is a riot."

"No, no. I insist. Those alcoholics in there will last a few minutes." Tom muttered loud enough for the whole pub to hear. There was an uproar.

"You don't mean that, Tom!"

"I'm not an alcoholic, I'm just a regular."

"Get back here and pour me a drink, or will I have to do it myself!"

"Go Johnny! Jump behind the bar! I have an inclining it is almost like heaven!"

"Yeah, you would think that Greg. Every alcoholic would think that behind a bar would be heaven"

"Oh, sod off Johnny!"

Tom closed the outer door to the pub to block off the uproar of orders for drinks "I love them, they keep my pub alive. But they do give me a pounding headache at times" he muttered rubbing his balding head with a gnarled hand.

"I'm sure you would be used to it by now, Tom. Ten years this September is it not?" Paul asked conversationally.

"Oh yes, ten years. You were there that night weren't you?" Tom asked quickly, with a hint of a smile on his cracked lips.

Susanna and Paul laughed loudly at this "Yes we were. Susanna of course wasn't drinking; she had James to look after. And I wasn't either because she would have skinned me alive if I did. It was the day that I asked her to marry me." Paul confirmed.

"Oh, history in the making, I remember it well." Tom remarked.

Susanna laughed "Well, we must be off a lot of supplies to buy and a few other things we must accomplish today. We shall see you again soon, Tom."

"Yeah of course! Good luck Lily. Say hello to your grandma and grandpa for me!" Tom said quietly as he led them out into a courtyard with a lonesome rubbish bin beside a brick wall.

"Grandma and grandpa...?" Lily asked as he closed the door behind them.

Paul and Susanna exchanged a smile "There's a few things we need to show you before we get to that."

"But all my grandparents are dea –" Lily froze in mid sentence as Paul took out his wand with a mutter of "Now, what was it again? Oh yes, three up, two across." He tapped the bricks three times and this alone took any thoughts out of Lily's mind.

An archway appeared in amongst a mass of rotating bricks.

"Lily Evans, welcome to Diagon Alley." Susanna whispered in Lily's ear.

* * *

A/N: Well then, this was an interesting chapter… thank you to all of you who have read this story… you probably will never know how much it means to me… thanks for giving it a chance anyway. Well hope to hear from you in a review, or if you would like to know when I will be updating next, how I am going with a chapter, or any random news about me that you most defiantly wouldn't know check out my profile page and visit my live journal… It is an interesting read to say the least. Next chapter when ever I complete it… should be next week some time… bye for now, take care. – Carley a.k.a. hpOracle 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

James couldn't stop staring. However much his eyes watered, how ever much they prickled, he would not let his eyes leave this particular spot.

Had he dreamed it? Had Sirius Black really being on the lawns of the Potter Estate? Had James really seen his tears?

James shook his head a little, but not enough to break his gaze. How could someone appear _here_ of all places? His parents were the best of their time, apart from Dumbledore of course. How could an eleven year old boy cut through defenses like that?

Maybe he wasn't a threat? James thought suddenly. Perhaps his parents were wrong. But James dismissed the thought. James's parents were never wrong about anything, they couldn't be in their line of work. When they did make mistakes, it resulted in a lot of death and pain. So they basically have made a habit of been correct at all times.

But James couldn't shake the feeling that Sirius was just like him; trying to escape his parents' name. He found this conclusion logical, it did make sense. So many secrets were linked with Sirius's family, that James wouldn't put it past the gossipers that they had finally got it all wrong. Perhaps, Sirius was as innocent as James was.

James closed his eyes, finally breaking his gaze. He hoped he was right and his parents were wrong for once, what ever the consequence.

James turned on the spot and looked up at the Potter Manor. He had never thought that the extravagant house on the hill would ever be as prominent as it was now. He had never really seen the size of it, or really took note of it. It was only the house he grew up in, his childhood home. But now as he looked upon its wings, the four story height, it's beautiful and detailed gardens, and the large sweeping lawns it looked more like a castle than a modest family home. Modest didn't come into it at all.

He started to walk back across the lawn, turning back every so often to see if Sirius may just appear again.

James fazed out as his legs fell into the familiar rhythm of walking. It calmed him, this familiar way of moving. And soon James's mind was filled with the desire for food. He's stomach rumbled and pained him. It only subsided when he promised himself some food on his return to the manor.

He reached the "twenty steps of death" and sighed wearily. He had only been awake for an hour or two, but he was exhausted from the strain of Sirius Black's appearance, and he felt as though he had not slept for days. What he needed was food, and a nicely lit room to take a nap in, and James had just the room in mind.

James's father's obvious obsession with broom sticks becomes apparent when you enter his office. Countless brooms of various designs, models and sizes are mounted on the walls, so that Paul Potter can see them all when sitting at his desk situated in the middle of the room.

But if it wasn't common knowledge you would never know it, Paul Potter never spoke of his obsession.

It would come as no surprise that this particular room wasn't easy to come by, but James knew that he wouldn't have another chance until next summer, so his best bet was to have another crack at that stair case now.

James had many unsuccessful attempts in the past. It always resulted in a few broken ribs that he had the maids tend to before his mother and father arrived home from work. James had a way of making the maids keep their secret, though it was obvious they would do anything for him.

But a few broken ribs were nothing in comparison to entering his father's study. Hell, James would break every bone in his body just for a glimpse of that room.

What James wished for, every time he thought of his dream to fly, was that his father would firstly give him permission and then let James choose one of the brooms mounted on the wall to be his own. If only that would become James's reality.

James broke free from his thoughts and realized he was now standing at the front door to the Potter Manor.

The front steps had not seemed such a feat when he was absorbed into his thoughts. James was thankful. He grasped the door handle and opened it quietly. He didn't want to announce his reappearance to the maids, they seemed to be connected to him when they knew he was about, and this frankly irritated him. He couldn't do anything within his own home without one of the maids knowing. And when one of them knew, news traveled fast within these thick, stubborn walls.

He closed the front door just as quietly as he had entered and stealthily walked down a corridor lined with portraits of his ancestors. James usually stopped by a few and offered his greetings, but today he only had one thing on his mind, to find the secret staircase.

James had an idea where the staircase could be situated and that was where he was heading first. His father's love of height and the sky was the same as James's and he was going by his own instincts rather than using logic.

He continued down the long corridor, unperturbed by the gradual descending darkness. It was just a ploy by his father, James told himself stubbornly, just a ploy to make him believe he was heading in the wrong direction. James kept with his instincts, what was the point of them if he didn't go with them once in a while?

Whispers erupted forthwith from the portraits, and James couldn't help but smile. He was right, and the portraits knew it.

His footsteps quickened as he neared the end of the corridor. His stomach was now nagging him. He should have eaten something before going on this quest. But his dreams could not be silenced by the unnecessary distraction of hunger.

Where he was headed was the center of the Potter Manor it's self, it held doors to all the major places in the house, though James could find the rooms on his own without using this room of doors but he thought that the room was the best place to start.

The corridor opened up to a room lined with several doors, each one with a different symbol; each one seemingly the entrance to several areas in the house. James walked up to one of the seven doors, and squinted at the little symbol in the middle of the door. This one was of a wand with three stars at the tip. James shook his head, he didn't think that that one would be the door leading to his father's study. James turned to face another door, almost identical to the last except for the symbol on this door held a cauldron billowing what looked like sparkling smoke. James knew that was the potions laboratory where his mother spent most of her time developing potions which may aid the Magical World in all sorts of situations.

James crossed these two doors off in his mind, five more to go.

The next door carried a symbol of a flower, obviously leading outside to the green house. James crossed this one off as well, even though the green houses had plenty of light and an unobstructed view of the sky. He knew his father would not be able to laze about surrounded by plants, let alone, risk a vine growing and consuming one of his brooms. James dismissed the door and went to the next one. The symbol of this particular door was of three books cascading over one another. That was obviously the library. The next three doors seemed to be of the same category; one a Snitch, one a Bludger and the last a Quaffle.

Now here is the test, James thought excitedly. One of these doors had to lead to his father's study, or at least see him on his way. Now all he had to do was pick a door and follow through with what ever his father had in there, perhaps a defense mechanism if James thought to do exactly what he was planning on doing.

James pulled his wand from the back pocket of his jeans and held it tightly in his small right hand. He knew it may come in useful for what may come. And unfortunately James knew what his father was capable of.

At the beginning of the Summer, James had asked his father yet again if he may have permission to learn how to fly, if he would teach him, and if he could have a broom of his own. As usual his father had dismissed his dreams, reminding him that there was no point him learning how to fly because it would come to no use to him when First Years are forbidden from playing Quidditch. When James had retorted that First Years were given lessons in flying during their first term at Hogwarts, Paul Potter had smiled and said that James could wait until then. James had gone into a fit of fury at his father, yelling at him and aiming quite an expensive vase at his head. Paul had locked James in his room, securing the door with as many charms and hexes he had knowledge of and demanded James calm down at once.

Well, this was the moment that James had found out his gift. His newly bought wand the day before came in useful as James mockingly pretended to undo the hexes and charms his father had put in place, not knowing that he was very successful indeed. James had tried the door in the hope that his father had taken pity on him, the door opened easily and James immediately went on his first search for his father's study.

Long story short, he had come very close to finding the room. To this very room, full of doors. He made the mistake of choosing the Bludger door.

James shuddered as he remembered his entrance. Hundreds of Bludgers were secured to walls. Though not for as long as James had hoped they would be. Before he even managed to exit the room and close the door behind him, the Bludgers came loose from their cages and pelted towards James. The only thing that saved his life was the spontaneous torrent of fire that flew from his wand tip and swallowed the hurling balls. The fire didn't stop with the Bludgers though. Unfortunately, it consumed the whole room and the outer corridor. A few portraits were lost in the blaze, and James received the punishment of a life time. He was forbidden to play Quidditch ever. He could still fly, though, if he could just get his hands on a broomstick.

So now, he mentally crossed off the Bludger door and stood before the remaining two doors. The Snitch and the Quaffle.

There was no point in thinking on it for hours, James thought, just go on instinct.

James grasped a door handle and opened a door.

A new world opened up to Lily in a haze of rotating bricks. To say the least, it was incredibly daunting to Lily whom had not been warned at all to what she may experience when she arrived in Diagon Alley. Though, Lily believed, that if she was warned the descriptions she would have received would not have come close to what she now beheld with her own eyes.

Groups of Magical people clustered together out side of shop windows and food kiosks. Large golden coins were exchanged for purchases at store counters from large velvet bags which were reattached at the waists of the older Witches and Wizards controlling the younger family members and leading them from shop to shop. Signs screamed out to Lily to be read. _Madam Malkins, Florish and Blotts, Quality Quidditch Supplies, Mr. Ollivanders Wands_… they overwhelmed Lily beyond the point of recognition.

Lily tightened her grasp in Paul's hand as everything became a little harder to grasp with a logical mind. He looked down at her and smiled "Take it all in your stride, Lily. One day in the near future, all of this will become as normal as reading a book."

Lily nodded, though she couldn't quite believe that seeing barrels of what looked horribly like eye balls could ever become normal.

Susanna, Paul and Lily started to walk down the cobble stoned path, passing many shop fronts with various eye popping products. But what amazed Lily the most was the building they were now heading towards. A three story white building stood amongst the squawking, the meowing and the chirping. Lily squinted and found a sign on the prominent building that read "_The Wizarding Bank Gringotts_".

"We're going in there?" Lily asked a little skeptically. The building looked as though it were sacred, that only the most privileged people may enter through those large doors. And Lily, small, pale and shaken as she was thought she definitely were not apart of this special group.

Lily slowed her steps, she had to stop Susanna and Paul from taking her there. She did not want to be thrown from the building by some unknown guard, forbidding her entry.

Susanna looked around as her steps lost momentum "Lily? Why are you slowing down?" she asked curiously.

Lily shook her head repeatedly, "I won't be allowed in there. I'm not of this world. I'm not of their blood. I'm not. I'm not –" Lily stuttered, her eyes were as wide as orbs as she pleaded with Susanna "Don't make me go in there, please don't make me."

Susanna exchanged a look with Paul that plainly said "_Go on ahead; I will be with you in a moment._"

Lily sat a bench on the side of the path, shivering and adverting her eyes from the looming white building, anything to forget her initial thoughts.

"Lily –"

"Do I really need to go in there, Susie? Honestly?" Lily asked immediately, pulling herself from her worries to stare Susanna in the eye.

The intense look on the small girls face startled Susanna. But she bit her tongue and remembered Lily's situation and reminded herself not to become impatient with the young shaking girl sitting so nervously on the bench beside her. Susanna sighed "No, it is not necessary. But it is an experience just like everything you will see and do today. You must see what it means to be Magical. See what Magical people see. Do as Magical people do. That, Lily, is necessary. How are you to live in this world if you hide away from everything that is different and abnormal in your eyes?"

Lily sighed deeply, staring off at the many shop fronts with strange and simply wondrous products, "I understand, Susie. I really do. I accept this world, but I just don't understand it. How can something like this, exist and everyone not even knowing about it?" Lily asked helplessly, cradling her head in her hands, trying with all her might to understand.

Susanna smiled kindly at Lily and rubbed her back in an encouraging gesture "I know that it would be hard to grasp, and that it is incredibly daunting, Lily. But I don't understand what all these questions have to do with entering Gringotts?"

Lily stared at her "Everything." She answered simply, not understanding why Susanna couldn't see what the problem was "I don't belong here!" Lily yelled suddenly.

Susanna sat back a little at Lily's out burst. She couldn't rightly understand why Lily had such a problem with entering the building, but then as she looked at it she remembered her first thoughts when she was just a child looking wide eyed at the huge spectacle in front of her. Susanna had only been three years of age, been a pure blood she could remembering visiting Diagon Alley on many occasions. She had been led into the large bank by her father. She remembered her fingers tighten their hold on her father's hand. It had only been her father's insistent pulling on her hand that caused Susanna to believe that she was able to enter the building and not be struck down in her path. She was worthy to enter, and so was Lily.

"Up! Now!" Susanna said abruptly.

Lily's eyes widened as Susanna roughly grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet "Susanna!"

"Enough of this, Lily!" Susanna replied when she snapped her gaze behind her to look at Lily, then she turned her eyes back ahead of her "I need to show you that it is possible to enter. I have to otherwise you will never get some wits about you and get over all of this! You are a witch, Lily. Say it to yourself a few times, but don't ever deny it. You can, and will enter this bank just like any other person in this alley!"

Before Lily could begin to argue again, nor try to attempt to dig her heels into the cobble stoned path below her, Susanna had dragged her a few paces towards the snowy building. "No, Susanna please! Why can't I just stay outside?"

"Because it is all part of your experience, now MOVE!" Susanna hissed.

"Susie… don't you think you are been a bit rash?" Paul asked his wife timidly.

"Not at all" Susanna stated clearly through gritted teeth.

"Susie, please! You're causing a scene" Paul pleaded, looking around himself at the many eyes fixed upon the trio.

Susanna ignored Paul and continued to pull Lily along in her wake "Come on Lily, you will know what it feels like to enter doors that were once thought to be out of your bounds." And with that she threw open the doors to the bank and pulled Lily inside.

Lily's mouth fell open as he neck snapped upwards and eyes widened to ten times their usual size. Never had she seen, or heard of a place like this before. The ceiling was almost unrecognizable, with its intricate designs and chandlers lighting up every inch of it magnificently. Her feet trod on the lushest of carpets, which covered every single marble tile beneath her. Hundreds of counters were to be seen in two lines straight down the middle of the bank, with thousands of other doors leading off to various other areas.

Lily looked at the surfaces of the hard wood counters and found dazzling jewels carelessly lain upon the surfaces ready to be weighed by ancient looking scales. Lily gasped in horror and shock as a massive ruby the shape of Lily's fist perhaps was suddenly snatched from a table top by a gnarled hand, topped with fragile looking fingers that possibly could slip through a man's skull unnoticed. Lily shuddered.

"Susie?" Lily asked quickly, tugging on Susanna's persistent hand as Susanna continued to pull her down the line of counters even though Lily had stopped fighting a while ago.

"Yes?" Susanna replied looking down at Lily with a smug little smile.

"What are those things?" Lily asked pointing at one of the nearby things behind the counter. Susanna quickly slapped Lily's hand away and smiled apologetically at the goblin that had looked up from its work and now stared at them rather suspiciously.

Susanna turned her back on the goblin and hurriedly knelt down to Lily's level so she blocked Lily from the goblins view. She looked at Lily with a hint of a mischievous smile like she had expected Lily to act in the way that she had. Lily fixed her with a confused glare, why would she do this intentionally? What are these things? And why were they measuring the weight of jewels when obviously they should be kept in zoos?

"The first thing you should know about goblins is that they hate it when people point at their appearances," Susanna stated in just above a whisper so that Lily could make out what she was saying. Lily looked passed Susanna and at the goblin she had unfortunately just pointed at, he immediately scowled at her showing exceptionally sharp, pointed teeth. Lily smiled weakly with apology. Susanna noticed this and smiled at Lily "Second thing is that they control all of the Wizarding banks in the world. They have a knack of burrowing deeply into the earth. Meaning there are thousands of kilometers of tunnels below us holding, perhaps billions of, vaults underground." Susanna looked up at the goblin ahead of her, seated on a raised stool whom had just finished with his latest client and was staring at them curiously "I think this goblin is ready for us, come on Lily."

Susanna straightened and took Lily's hand a little gentler than the last time. Lily was thankful; her hand still ached from Susanna's vice like grip. By the time Lily looked up from rubbing her delicate fingers they were standing in front of a large desk, a goblin perching on a stool behind it.

"Mrs. Potter. How are you this fine summer's day?" The goblin drawled at Susanna as it finished scrawling a name on a rather extensive list.

Susanna smiled pleasantly at the creature as though she expected its rude behavior "I am very well thank you." She replied smoothly, ignoring the goblins pronounced snarl as it looked up at her "I would like to access my account thank you."

The goblin looked at Susanna squarely, then turned it's attention to Lily. "And you wish to take this one in with you? Is this correct?"

Lily shuddered as the goblin's small, squinty eyes scanned her quickly and silently.

"Yes that is correct." Susanna stated clearly.

"Very well. Do you have the key?" The goblin said, looking at Susanna through his black eyes.

Susanna looked at the goblin blankly "Do you think I am stupid?"

The goblin smiled painfully, showing its large sharp teeth "I was merely stating the conditions of entry, Mrs. Potter."

"Enough of this charade" Susanna said sweetly, smiling warmly at the goblin "Come on Ruthie, you know I am who I say I am. Just let me through."

"You have forgotten your keys again haven't you Susie?"

Lily looked from the frightening looking goblin to Susanna's smiling face. Where did this suddenly come from? One moment they are battling with pleasantries, the next they are laughing with one another like good old friends. Lily shook her head again, this was all becoming a little to much to soak in.

The goblin grinned its vicious grin and slipped off the high stool. It shook it ugly head "You always do it, Susie! I can't remember the last time you actually remembered your key!" It then went to a large filing cabinet and began ruffling through the files muttering under its breath "potter… Potter… oh here we go…" The goblin took hold of the file and held it securely in its long fingers while it carried the file back to the counter and climbed onto its high stool once more.

"You must remember to bring your key next time, I can't keep breaking the rules for you!" The goblin sniffed as it up ended the file and a tiny golden key dropped onto the counter's surface.

Lily stared at the key intently, never had she seen such a small thing in all her life. The goblin caught her looking at the key and smiled her vicious toothy smile. "Who is this pretty little thing, Susie? You haven't introduced us."

Susanna laughed "Oh! I forgot all about that. Ruthie, meet Lily Evans. Lily, meet Ruthie my good goblin friend."

Lily looked up at the frightening looking goblin and nodded in acknowledgement "Nice to meet you, Ruthie."

Ruthie growled, "Only friends can call me Ruthie. To you I am Goblin number 2940."

Susanna glared at Ruthie, "Don't be like that."

Ruthie shrugged, "Nothing says I have to be nice to her, or you for that matter."

Lily stared, horrified that something so scary looking could be angry with her. Then Lily suddenly remembered Susanna's warning and spoke up "I'm sorry for pointing at you like I did."

The effect of these words was amazing. Ruthie's smiled down at Lily from her high stool "Oh, thank you. You don't know how much it rubs me the wrong way when people point at me like that. You know, in Goblin Society, I am considered quite attractive. But I am guessing you are a muggle born and not at all accustomed to seeing such a beautiful sight like me"

"Oh no, I'm not" Lily replied bracingly. Lily smiled weakly at the goblin and Susanna thinking this to be the oddest experience of her life to date.

"Ok, Mrs. Potter. Let's go get you some money." Ruthie said as she picked up the small key from the counter, jumped off her stool and led them down the line of counters and through a side door. "Through here. Watch your step Miss Evans, it can be incredibly dark underground."

Lily gasped as she stepped through the door. It had just dropped several degrees in one moment causing Lily to shake a little.

Susanna bent low to Lily's ear as they walked "That was some quick thinking out there, I am proud of you. Ruthie can be very intimidating."

"I've noticed." Lily answered back in a whisper as not to annoy Ruthie again.

"You did well. Most people just bare her bad mood. But you changed it. Your reaction was almost as quick at my son's, James." Susanna whispered back, as they walked toward a cart upon iron tracks.

"Get into the cart and hold on tight" Ruthie now instructed when they reached the cart. The cart had two rows of seats with a hand bar for holding onto. Susanna and Lily jumped into the first row of seats and Ruthie jumped into the back.

Lily sat back with ease, until Susanna leaned over and said a little bracingly "I would do what she says you know. This cart experience isn't very high on my favorites list. James and Paul's on the other hand…" she didn't get to finish her sentence for her words were swept away in the sudden speed the cart was taken down the track by.

Lily believed she left her heart at the start of the ride for she couldn't feel it beating as she was thrown from one end of the cart to the other because she hadn't had the chance to take hold of the handle bars. Susanna caught Lily in her lap the second time she fell into her, and held her in one spot until they came to an abrupt stop outside a very hard looking door placed randomly in the wall.

Lily squinted in the darkness to see that a ledge was visible out side the entrance of the room but no more than perhaps three people could stand safely upon the ledge without falling to a gruesome death.

"Please exit the cart and step onto the ledge." Ruthie said in a mechanical voice through the darkness.

"Oh shh, Ruthie. If you are so bored with your job then leave it." Susanna scoffed stepping out of the cart gratefully and helping Lily out also.

"What can I say, I love the dark and the cold" Ruthie sighed contently, staring around at her dank surroundings.

"The reason why is because you are a goblin." Susanna replied staring at Ruthie with a smile.

"You think?" Ruthie replied sarcastically. "Now stand back whilst I open your vault. I could for all you know _accidentally_ knock you off this ledge. And for your information Miss Evans…" Ruthie paused as she looked at Lily hauntingly "it is an awfully long way down." Ruthie concluded as she slipped the little key into the lock and turned it roughly.

Lily winced as she saw the key shudder then the lock emitted a loud click.

The Quaffle labeled door was James's choice. He couldn't explain why he chose it. He closed his eyes tightly, getting ready for anything that may come his way. But after a moment of silence and no movement what so ever, he opened his eyes and let them take in the magnificent view in front of him.

A deeply varnished, spiraling staircase had been built in the centre of a circular room. James let out a gasp, he knew he had been in this room before, but it was still a sight to behold.

Portraits lined the rounded walls, they looked like they had been charmed slightly curved so they could he hung smoothly against the wall.

James approached one of the portraits warily. It was a portrait of a middle aged man, perhaps in his forties sitting comfortably on a plush looking crimson arm chair. Book shelves had been painted behind him, to give him an air of intelligence. James cleared his throat and the portrait sprang to life.

"Good morning, James." The portrait greeted, a smile alighting his face effortlessly "What brings you into your father's private dwelling?"

James smiled mischievously "I'm just exploring on my last few days of the summer holidays until I start at Hogwarts. I'm innocent, I promise" James said sweetly.

The portrait sighed, smiling knowingly "James, even though I didn't get to meet you I know you just as well as my own son. You are up to something and I know it."

"How do you get that Granddad, I am an innocent boy. All ways have been" James insisted, looking around the room.

The portrait laughed "That's all about to change though, isn't it. Tell me your not about to break into your father's study then." James's granddad demanded, looking up at James with his honey hazel eyes. "Tell me, you're not looking for the secret of getting up those stairs?"

"I wouldn't lie to you granddad" James said with a forced sigh, "Yes I am looking for it. Why don't you help me out? I am sure you have seen my father do it many times before."

The portrait of James's grandfather smiled the same mischievous smile James had inherited "Oh you know I can't do that! Paul may just put me away in the basement if I give away all his secrets. Maybe you should ask your great-granddad over there. He may be sympathetic." James's grandfather winked then became motionless once again.

James smiled at the portrait and whispered "Thank you grand dad."

He then stepped away from the portrait, his feet making odd clicking noises on the hard tiles. He went in search for his great-granddad's portrait. During his search many of the portraits began their customary whisper. He knew he was getting close, and he knew his granddad had been more helpful then he had let on. James finally spotted the portrait of his great-grand dad. It was lined up with the start of the spiraling stair case.

James's great-grand father sprung to life as James came to a stop in front of his portrait. His great-grandfather had been painted during the rein of Grindelwald and he was decked out in battle garments and had his arms crossed over his chest, his wand poised in his hand waiting for an attack. Found on the frame of the portrait was a golden plaque reading _"The Great James Wilbert Potter, Famous Auror and Dark Wizard Killer." _James was shocked to see the likeness of himself in this upstanding wizard. His eyes showed evidence of great turmoil, though they were stead fast and strong. He glared at James for the moment; his black hair hanging to his shoulders was ruffled and alive as though in a constant breeze.

"Who dares wake me?" Elder James Potter demanded, staring at James as though he willed him to explode into flames.

James shuddered a little, wondering if a room full of Broomsticks was worth been blasted into smithereens by his hostile ancestors. "J-James Potter, Sir." James replied, scolding himself for showing such weakness.

The portrait rose a heavy eyebrow at James "What's the stutter for, boy?" He demanded in quite an intimidating growl.

James composed himself almost immediately. He swallowed deeply, thinking his words over before he spoke them "Nothing, I was just hoping you would take pity in me if I seemed nervous." James smiled cheekily at the portrait knowing what his reply will be.

The portrait snarled. "Me take pity? Never. I didn't get where I am today taking pity on the likes of you pathetic little children. Though you must show some of my attributes if you were to be named after me. Name them this instant!" The portrait demanded.

James looked at the portrait strangely "Why do I have to do that?"

"Alright, ignorance. That's one. Next!"

"I am not ignorant!" James retorted hotly, loosing his patience.

"Short tempered! That's two! NEXT!" The portrait barked.

"How am I short tempered!" James demanded getting very red in the face.

"Disrespectful to your elders! NEXT!" The portrait said ignoring James's questions.

James breathed in deeply about to let the portrait know how much he disliked it that very instant when James Wilbert Potter's face suddenly broke out in a cheeky smile.

James looked shocked at the sudden change in the man's face "What?"

"Ha ha! You are the exact replica of me! I was ignorant, short tempered and I didn't respect my elders in the least." He continued laughing as James tapped his foot impatiently. The portrait noticed this and shouted "Impatient too! Oh lovely! What about cheeky, manipulative, smart, determined, kind hearted, strong, dedicated, loyal and out going?" The portrait asked.

James looked at the portrait strangely "You're giving me the answers!"

"No I'm not" The portrait replied with a smile. "I'm just helping you. Paul Potter has another thing coming with you as a son. Let me guess what you are doing here… trying to find a way up to his office?" The portrait raised a knowing eyebrow at James. "Don't bother answering boy, I know. It is quite obvious. Now I could tell you the wrong way, but you know, that would cause harm to the only Potter of this generation. So I don't think I will do that." He appeared to think a moment, sizing James up. "Hmm I think I have it, I will tell you how to get up there. But you must do something for me first…"

James smiled "Anything!"

The portrait immediately scowled "NEVER! AND I MEAN NEVER SAY "anything!" TO SOMEONE THAT IS ASKING SOMETHING OF YOU!"

James jumped back in surprise and mutely nodded.

"Good god, if you do that, you could have any dark wizard control you for ever more." James Elder sprung from his painted chair and began pacing before it. "But forget about that for now, that is of no importance. What I want of you is simple: You must cause havoc at Hogwarts!"

James was about to speak when his great-grand father continued "It isn't anything too major, just try to have fun at Hogwarts. You know put a spin on the name Potter for once. You will naturally be good at work, but if you can be a prankster too… now that will be something to be proud of. And your class mates will be grateful of the distraction too, trust me. I'm sure there will be another dark wizard up rise in the future. People need laughs! Comedy! You will be the one that makes them smile through anything. But please, don't target the entire school with your pranks, just one house. And you know which house I am speaking of." James Elder smiled wickedly as James's mind soaked in what his great-grand father was saying.

After a moment, the exact replica of James Elder's smile pushed it's self onto James's own face. It wasn't so much a smile, but a cheeky smirk that he knew would never entirely disappear from his face from that moment on.

"And now," The portrait concluded abruptly "We must now part. But before you do that, could you possibly straighten my frame just a tad, you don't know how annoying it is to be on a constant slant." The portrait winked at James, settled himself once more in the plush chair he had been sitting in before his erratic pacing and then became motionless once more.

James looked at the portrait closely; he didn't notice it was on a slant at all. Though James thought he would be highly peculiar about been straight too if he were a portrait. James held the frame in both hands with a little difficulty; he had to stretch quite a lot to reach the other side of the frame. He then tweaked the portrait to the left.

Nothing happened. James frowned, why didn't it work? He examined the portrait closely once more for a few minutes before he sighed in frustration. This must be a trick, he should look somewhere else.

James turned and looked up pleadingly at the staircase. It twisted and turned out of sight. How do I possibly get up there with out been caught up in a trap?

Run up there quickly? James thought suddenly.

James didn't see any other way. He walked up to the stair case and placed his foot on the first step, then stepped up. Wow, James thought excitedly, nothing happened. James immediately started running as quick as he could up the stairs, holding onto the banister for support. Two turns, three turns, ten turns, sixteen turns… The staircase didn't seem like it was ever going to end until he hit the sixty-fourth step.

It happened so suddenly it took a few seconds for James to realize he was falling. James let a slight yell of surprise escape his lips as he slid down the stairs, the stairs having tilted suddenly and turned into a dramatically twisting slide.

After a few moments, James found himself sprawled at the foot of the stairs. He wasn't hurt in the slightest, but he was disappointed.

He picked himself up and stormed over to the portrait of his great-grand father, James Wilbert Potter. The portrait looked smugly back at him "What are you playing at!" James bit out in frustration.

"Did I tell you to climb the stairs?" James Elder enquired, his sickly smug grin growing every moment.

"No. But your little hint didn't help either so I thought I would try it." James defended immediately.

James Elderly shook his head in disapproval "Young kids this days, I don't know what to do with them." He mumbled to himself, looking around his portrait for something that could be useful in this situation, "They don't even know how to straighten a portrait correctly. The future is doomed!" The portrait practically screamed causing the surrounding portraits to turn their heads in James's direction. James smiled sheepishly at all the curious stares.

"Oh shh great-granddad! Why make such a scene for? Honestly!" James said in a hurried whisper.

"Because if I don't make a scene you young ones don't ever listen to me!" James Elder barked. "Now straighten my damn portrait and this time do it right!"

James cocked his head to the side looking at this great-grandfather strangely. The old man had certainly lost his mind when this portrait was produced, the portrait wasn't on a slant what so ever. But as James's mind mulled over the portraits words it started to make a little more sense.

"You want me to tilt you to the right?" James asked excitedly staring at the portrait with wide eyes.

James Wilbert Potter smiled at James and barked "Have you got cotton for brains or something boy? Of course I did!"

With out hesitation, James placed a confident finger on the corner of the frame and pushed down on it. The effect was instantaneous. As soon as the portrait tilted, it clicked into position, then the floor beneath James's feet began to float up wards.

James gasped. It wasn't the floor that was floating, only a piece of it. A platform about two meters wide and long had broken away from it's other wooden planks and had automatically began to float up to the towering ceiling.

Within moments, golden gates of curling iron blocked his entry to the most amazing looking office James had ever laid eyes on.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews… To find out when next chapter will be available please check out my live journal page… link found on my profile. THANK YOU FOR READING!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Chapter 8 here we come… it has come to my attention that however much I read over a chapter and edit the typos and mistakes there always seems to be a whole lot I miss… so I think I may put out the plea for a beta… so if you are interested to beta this story for me, or any of my other stories… please review and leave your email… I shall contact you immediately ) hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 8

The vault was labeled with a very ancient looking plaque emblazoned with "The Potter's Vault" but this was only visible for a second, because the heavy iron door was pulled open and the vault gave a beautiful sight for Lily's eyes to behold so generously.

As the vault door opened Lily noticed stray coins and gems escape and roll away just to be quickly gathered up by Ruthie before the coins fell through the cart tracks and into the great chasm below.

Mounds of large, golden, silver and small copper coins were sprinkled with rubies, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. Lily couldn't pry her gaze from the sparkling contents, nor silence her guilt.

"I must insist you open a new vault, Susie!" Ruthie exclaimed irritably, carefully placing the marauding coins and gems at the entrance of the vault, willing them to stay put. "This one is becoming a little full." Ruthie continued stepping back from the door.

Susanna sighed "It wouldn't be like this if my clients and colleagues would stop paying us for banishing Dark Wizards. We receive enough rewards to say the least."

"They are just thankful for your services. We all are!" Ruthie insisted, a smile lacing her lips upward.

Susanna gave Ruthie a modest smile "If that's the case, and I can't put a stop to these private rewards… open a vault in James's name –"

"But that can't happen, Susie. The rewards are in your name, I can't just transfer the rewards over –"

Susanna shot Ruthie a steely glare "You can, and you will. If you have to, put the rewards into the Potter Vault then transfer the same amount of the reward from this vault to James'. Simple."

Ruthie nodded, and then clicked her fingers. A piece of parchment appeared in her grasp, covered in flowing script which Lily could only assume was the agreement and the conditions of Susanna's son's new vault "Please sign here, Susie."

Susanna read over the agreement. She suddenly shook her head "No, James can't have access to the money until he graduates from Hogwarts, or if Paul and I are both deceased." These details magically added themselves to the bottom of the agreement, where upon Susanna signed. Susanna sighed irritably when she noticed that Paul had to sign also "Oh gosh! I should have forced that man to come too!"

Lily looked around, and for the first time noticed that Paul was missing "Where is Paul, Susie?"

Susanna looked down at Lily clenching her teeth "At Quality Quidditch Supplies. That boy will never grow up." Susanna growled hardly containing her annoyance.

"Quidditch?" Lily enquired innocently, warily looking at Susanna as though she were about to explode if she had asked her question too loudly.

"A sport, played on broomstick. Though, at school Paul had promised he would never play Quidditch again after an accident during a game in our Seventh Year. Paul broke ten bones from that fall. And I was damned if I would ever let that happen again. He was in bed for days! So after that, I made him give me his word that he would never play that stupid sport again. But he still has an obsession with broomsticks and I think he is at the store window drooling over the newest model as we speak, mark my words." Susanna informed. With a shake of her head she crossed out the vacant line on the piece of parchment and handed it to Ruthie "I am sure that will be sufficient enough to at least open up James's vault. I will have Paul come in as soon as possible to put his name to the agreement."

Ruthie nodded enthusiastically, taking the parchment from Susanna. With another click of her fingers the parchment disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Susanna sighed and pulled her wand from a holder attached to her belt. She waved her wand, and a small red velvet bag with a golden drawstring appeared in mid air. With this bag placed firmly in her grasp, Susanna bent her back a little and entered the vault with some difficulty. Coins flooded out of the vault as she maneuvered her way around the mounds of coins and gems. Ruthie dived every which way attempting to save as many coins as she could. But however grand her attempts may be, many coins fell through the gaps in the cart tracks and out of sight.

A silver coin rolled towards Lily and she picked it up quickly, examining the surface. The coin was much heavier than muggle money, and she noticed that the dates along the rim of the coins dated back to centuries ago.

Susanna, noticing this, smiled "Those coins are called Sickles. The gold ones are Galleons and the copper ones are called Knuts." She explained suddenly causing Lily to jump with surprise and throw the coin back into the vault bashfully "No need to get scared, this bag is for you anyway." Susanna stated indicating the bag that she now had managed to half fill with gold, silver and copper coins.

"Susanna, please! Don't give me too much. I don't need that much money to get by" Lily insisted, looking longingly at the bag, wishing to tip out all the contents.

"Nonsense, Lily. There are a lot of things we must buy today. Robes, uniforms, shoes, a wand, books, book bags, quills, rolls of parchment, potion supplies, other miscellaneous items…" Susanna trailed off when she noticed a beautiful, remarkably well cut emerald glinting at her in amongst the horde of coins. She bent over and carefully picked it up, pocketing the emerald thoughtfully.

Lily was still in hysterics "Susanna, please! I thought the only thing I really needed was a wand? That is what Paul said! Please, don't buy all these things for me."

"Please be quiet Lily, I am trying to think" Susanna said dismissively, looking into the bag and thinking deeply. "I think I will need a bigger bag…" Susanna said.

"Oh, no you don't!" Lily cried. But even as Lily said this Susanna had waved her wand yet again, and the once small red velvet bag clutched in her fingertips magically swelled to double its original size. "That's better," Susanna stated looking a little happier with the size of the bag, and continued sweeping up coins and throwing them in.

Lily let out a long sigh. However much she protested, Susanna would not let Lily go to Hogwarts unprepared. This was going to be a long day of shopping.

Lily and Susanna exited the bank twenty minutes later having said good bye to Ruthie and the Potter Vault. Susanna weighed down with her heavy money bag and Lily blinking erratically to get her eyes used to the bright sunshine once more.

Paul ran over to them, when he noticed they had reappeared from his position out the front of Quality Quidditch Supplies. Susanna had been correct in thinking Paul had gone there. And he hadn't just been browsing either. He held, in his arms, a long thin package wrapped in brown paper.

"Not another broomstick, Paul." Susanna scolded, shaking her head at her beaming husband.

"I'm sorry Susie. But I couldn't help myself. It's a Speeding Bullet, newest model on the market. I had to buy it!" Paul practically screamed like a little girl on her first pony ride. If Susanna's gaze hadn't been so cold, Lily would have giggled uncontrollably at Paul's behavior.

"Just get it out of my sight before I curse it into a real broom stick. You know, the ones you sweep dust with?" Susanna cried triumphantly. Lily immediately saw the color drain away from Paul's face at Susanna's threat.

"You wouldn't do such a thing." Paul plainly stated, staring at Susanna in complete and utter disgust.

Susanna smiled teasingly, "Wouldn't I?" She asked the hysterical Paul.

Sadly, Paul held out his beloved package and waved his wand. The package immediately faded from view.

"That's better. No more distractions. A shopping spree waits!" Susanna stated, brushing past a gloomy looking Paul and started down the alley at a brisk pace, Lily in tow.

Florish and Blotts bookstore was the first stop of the shopping party. The party consisted of one forlorn looking Paul Potter, looking wistfully at his hand every now and then imagining the broom he had just charmed away from his sight to appear so he could magically fly away; a stubborn Susanna Potter walking down every aisle pulling countless titles from the shelves and handing them, mindlessly to the small red headed Lily Evans who was currently drowning in guilt. Every title that fell into her grasp, she went under another inch of deep, cold, chilling guilt.

"I'll pay you back every cent!" Lily insisted as Susanna piled a few more books into Lily's already weighed down arms. Lily almost lost balance when Susanna carelessly turned around quickly, nipping the side of Lily's book tower.

"Nonsense, Lily!" Susanna said again, scrolling her eyes over the shelves. She turned her head abruptly to her husband and barked "Paul, get over here and be of some help! Poor Lily is getting flattened by books."

Paul approached Lily looking as dejected as ever and smoothly took the load from her arms, not saying a word. Lily looked at him admiringly. The books seemed to weigh nothing to him. She smiled at him, giving him her thanks. He just nodded, looking past the book shelves, his eyes unfocused. Obviously, Paul was going back to his day dreaming.

Susanna led them to the store clerk and had Paul place the books on the counter. Lily couldn't even count the amount of text books in front of her. Noticing this was a major problem, (how was she to carry this many books during school?) Lily tugged on Susanna's sleeve persistently.

"Susanna, I think you have gone a little over board with the amount of books. I certainly would not need this many!" Lily whispered as the store clerk bowed to them and began calculating the cost of the books.

"Of course you need this many books, Lily. There are your class texts, essential to your class work. Reference books, needed for assignments and home work. Extra texts I have added to the list, so you won't have to search the gloomy shelves of the library all that often. And of course, I have my memories of all the texts we had to study throughout our seven years at Hogwarts and I have included them all. You won't have to go book shopping again." Susanna said proudly, handing over innumerable golden coins to the excited clerk.

Lily blanched "Susanna, I can not take all these books. This is crazy!"

Susanna turned on Lily after telling Paul to pick up the bags "No Lily, it is not crazy. I have no idea what your grand parent's financial position is, for they don't tell the whole world. But I do know that I want you to have the best possible start for your new life you can possibly have. Ok? Is that such a bad thing?" She walked out onto the street, Lily and Paul following in her wake.

Lily stared at Susanna with her wide emerald green eyes "I'm sorry I have offended you –"

Susanna growled, "You haven't offended me at all, Lily. I just wish you would forget about this little money fiasco. I don't care about money. I am going to set you up for your education and that is final."

"Susie, I think you are getting a little too forceful in the matter." Paul interrupted suddenly.

Susanna turned on him "I just care alright! I care. I couldn't be there for Lily when her parents' were killed but I will be here for her now! Why didn't we get there in time, Paul? Where were we? Where was Dumbledore?" Susanna cried suddenly, causing Lily to step back a little from the once stable and most calm woman she had ever known.

Paul didn't respond. Instead, he placed the bags at Lily's feet and embraced his wife silently. Lily turned away, unable to witness a strong woman, such as Susanna, break down in tears because of her.

"Go on to Madam Malkins robe shop Lily, Madam Malkin will size you up for some school robes. We will be there in a moment." Paul whispered rubbing Susanna's shuddering back soothingly

Lily nodded and walked the few meters to Madam Malkins. She felt the forever present guilt rise up in her heart as she stepped away from the obviously distressed Susanna. She didn't want Susanna to be crying on account of her. But she knew it was best not to push her company onto anyone, so she walked into the shop obediently.

A bell chimed her arrival into the shop. She continued to look back to the street every now and again just to see if Susanna was alright. But the last time she attempted to do this, they were out of sight. Sighing, Lily turned back to face ahead of her just in time to walk right into something. She fell back to the ground, shaking her head at her stupidity.

A hand shot into her vision, offering her some help up. She took it, and looked beyond the hand. A boy, probably a few years older than Lily, stood next to her smiling pleasantly.

Lily blushed deeply, stuttering out her apologies. But the boy waved them away, still smiling "Don't worry about it. It's already forgotten."

Lily smiled faintly at him, feeling very insecure in his presence. But he wasn't about to get rid of him that easily. Still with his forever present smile on his face he asked, "So, what's your name?"

Lily stared at him, her eyes becoming extremely bright because of her nervousness "Lil-lily Evans" Lily replied, forcing her words to come out as well structured as possible.

The sudden frown that came upon the boy's face was sudden and a little frightening "Oh, gosh. I'm sorry. You're the girl who lost her parents to that freak attack, hey?"

Lily could hardly make her head move up and down in a nodding action. Her stomach had dropped consistently, her heart going with it.

"I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. Those bastard Death Eaters have no heart targeting your parents like that, Muggles weren't they?" He enquired. His blue eyes bored into Lily's, she found it hard to break his gaze but when she did she looked at her uncomfortably shifting feet.

Lily nodded again, willing herself to be anywhere but there. But the thought struck Lily that she will have to get used to it. She will not have Susanna and Paul to put a stop to this torment for her at Hogwarts. She would have to deal with it herself.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, given a chance, I would take all those Death Eaters out." He stated confidently. He gave a short laugh "Anyway, Joshua Winter's the name. And I'm sorry again. But I must be off, I have a lot of school supplies to purchase. See you at Hogwarts"

With a last lingering smile, Joshua walked past Lily and left the shop.

Lily stood rooted on the spot. So much for dealing with people who knew what had happened to her parents! An old hand snapped its fingers in her face at that moment, causing Lily to come back to the present "My, dear? Are you alright?"

Lily shook her head a little, and blinked several times until she focused on an elderly woman wearing a white blouse littered with sewing pins and thread attached to several of them. Her grey skirt was pleated and kept her bulging stomach in check.

"Oh, hi" Lily said slowly, fixing a painful smile upon her face "You must be Madam Malkin?"

"Yes, dear I am. Are you to be attending Hogwarts this year?" Madam Malkin enquired, turning away from Lily and examining a rack full of various sized black robes.

"Yes I am." Lily replied simply.

"Well then, stand on that stool and I will find a robe to fit you. You are awfully small, my dear girl…" Madam Malkin continued to mutter to herself about sizes and other such things as Lily stepped onto the stool feeling completely out of place in a shop full of robes.

Madam Malkin reemerged looking flustered, hanging several lengths of black material, Lily supposed were the robes she was to wear to Hogwarts, over her shoulders. She forced a robe over Lily's head a moment later. Lily immediately felt like she was drowning in black fabric, as the robe's hem pooled around her feet. Madam Malkin muttered to herself about her loosing her touch and yanked the robe from Lily's head almost immediately.

Deciding to make conversation to ease the awkwardness of the situation, Lily asked, "Is the school uniform only the black robe or…?"

"No of course not, dear. There is a grey school skirt that you may wear to your knees, it's pleated, and a white blouse. Of course, black leather school shoes are also needed, though some students like to wear dragon hide I'm not particularly sure why. Perhaps it adds character and wealth to the uniform I am not sure. But it is very durable and lasts a long time. Perfect if you have stopped growing. You will also need a cloak, gloves, knee high socks… you receive your school tie, scarf and beanie once you are sorted into your house. They are made with the House colors you know…" She continued rattling off the list at a fast pace. Lily could not quite follow her as Madam Malkin yet again threw a robe over Lily's head and was at last satisfied with the length. "Ar. There we are. Nice fit too. Will allow some growth during the school year…"

Madam Malkin then disappeared for a moment, leaving Lily standing on the stool looking around uncomfortably. It was a few minutes before she reemerged with shoe boxes, grey skirts and several white blouses on coat hangers. "Go and change into these. I am sure they will fit you, but just incase." Madam Malkin then indicated a change room, hidden behind a thick, navy blue curtain at the back of the shop. "Feel free to call out for other sizes, dear. God knows I have nothing better to do with my time." And with that she left Lily to step down from the stool, gather up a few pieces of clothing and a pair of shoes and socks and enter the dressing room.

Lily unburdened herself of her load of clothing on the chair in the changing room and set about taking the robe from her shoulders. Struggling with the excess of fabric, Lily finally got the robe onto a hanger and turned to the blouse and skirt.

Madam Malkin was right to think the garments would fit her. They fit perfectly, hugging her skin so she finally had a sense of comfort. There was no mirror in the changing room so she could not possibly look at her reflection. She took the other sizes of skirts and blouses from the chair and hung them instead on the hook on the wall. Lily then sat, opening the lid to her new shiny, black leather school shoes and then rummaged for a pair of socks. Locating them quickly, Lily pulled them up to just below her knee then laced up her shoes. Taking the robe from the hanger, she donned it and opened the door and exited the changing room.

"I'm done, Madam Malkin. Do you by any chance, have a mirror?" Lily enquired.

"Of course." Madam Malkin replied suddenly from just behind Lily, causing Lily to jump with fright. Madam Malkin smiled kindly at her edginess "A little nervous about starting school?"

"Just a little bit" Lily replied dishonestly, giving the elderly woman a weak smile.

"Oh well, that is natural. The mirror is just behind the stool you previously stood on. Step onto the stool and take a gander, I'll be behind the counter if you need me." With that, Madam Malkin turned away from Lily, leaving Lily staring at the stool with distaste.

Here goes nothing, Lily thought, bracing herself for the sight that was to come. Lily stepped onto the stool and turned to face the full length mirror behind her. She gasped, staring wide eyed at the stranger that looked back at her just as shocked. Her ruby red hair contrasted magnificently with the black of her school robe. She looked a pleasant sight, there was no doubt.

"Look at that. You look simply wonderful" A choked voice announced suddenly. Lily spun around, her robes billowing behind her to face Paul and Susanna Potter smiling at her. Susanna's face was flushed but she was smiling brightly at the small girl anyway, hiding her obvious distress.

"Susanna. Are you ok?" Lily asked quickly, attempting to step from the stool and comfort the young woman.

"I'll be fine, dear. Please, don't move. I want to remember this. I always wanted a daughter" Susanna replied thoughtfully, smiling gracefully at Lily, then moving forward to fuss over a particle of lint on the black robe "What a simple robe can do always amazes me…" Susanna sniffed her eyes becoming teary once more. She turned her head to Madam Malkin who appeared to be adjusting the lengths of a long magenta robe on her counter, but didn't seem to be getting anywhere considering she was now staring wide eyed at Paul and Susanna. Susanna smiled her graceful smile once more and said "Madam Malkin, may we please purchase this outfit along with three other pairs please, throw in three robes of the same size along with another two cloaks. I want the lining of the cloaks to be silver and gold, you know those special ones that charm the cold out?" Madam Malkin was nodding her head repeatedly as Susanna spoke. Susanna continued "Five pairs of socks, two pairs of shoes and I think that is all."

"Of course." Madam Malkin replied, stunned. She numbly waved her wand. Her counter was immediately choking in bundles of brown paper, Lily supposed was her new sets of her Hogwarts uniform.

"Thank you" Susanna said, approaching the counter and handing over countless golden coins once more. "Keep the change, Madam Malkin."

They then left the shop, a twinkling of the bell announcing their departure for the whole alley.

"Where to next?" Lily asked a little awkwardly. She had not forgotten her guilt, but it was best not to argue with Susanna.

"Ollivanders: Maker of Fine Wands." Susanna stated, once again taking Lily's hand.

Meanwhile

James stepped off the floating platform which had been so generous to take him to his Father's Study.

He tried with all his might to contain his excitement but he couldn't keep his legs from lifting him off the ground repeatedly in a series of victory jumps. He had made it! He was actually standing in the forbidden office and his parents could do nothing about it!

James turned slowly on the spot glorying in the sheer existence of such a place. The ceiling was domed glass, and all James could see above him was the bright blue sky even if he were to run to every corner of the room. His father's desk was situated in the middle of the room, placed in the perfect place to be able to see all the room could offer. The desk was littered with piles of parchment. James presumed this to be the latest horde of paper work for all his parent's raids. James turned again, and was suddenly affronted with a sight he never thought he would see in all his life.

The walls of the office were literally soaking in fine models of brooms. James was in heaven, he was drooling, and he was blinking uncontrollably. This was what he lived for. This was his dream come true.

Without wasting a moment, James approached a golden broomstick a few steps away. He dropped to his knees as though worshipping the fine piece of wood. Reaching out a tentative, small hand, James brushed his finger tips across the surface of the sparkling handle. It was so smooth, so sleek, James had to fight the temptation to rip it from the wall and hold it completely in his grasp.

But he backed away from the wall after a thoughtful moment. He had made it up here. He had seen the collection with his own eyes. Now it was time to leave, so he could not possibly get caught.

As James turned away from the wall and back to the centered desk, temptation bit back at him in the form of a slowly materializing broom wrapped in brown paper.

James' eyes widened in surprise as they locked upon the package. This was James's sign. This materialization was telling him that he must take a broom, any broom. And sadly, James could only think of one broom to grasp.

Approaching the desk with quick and confident foot steps, James reached out a shaking hand of fingers and began to unwrap the package. His hands shook violently, causing the task to be much more difficult than James had ever realized it could be.

Piece by piece the brown paper was shredded from the whole, and after a few moments James' eyes beheld the sight he could and would never get sick of. The silver paint was immaculate, the sleek and shining handle was thin and looked to be made just for his hands to hold. The brooms tall was perfectly straight and polished, every strand of wood was soaked in varnish or some sort of polish.

James's breathing came in hoarse, short gasps as he fought the urge to yell and scream in delight as he read the sliver flowing script on the side of the broom that spelt out "The Speeding Bullet Two-Sixty."

He had to have this broom. He must have it. Otherwise, James feared that his life as he knew it would crumble from the desire and the craving of having this fine broomstick in his possession.

James looked around quickly. He saw the platform still floating by the side of the office, innocently awaiting him to depart. He saw the winding staircase that was just a ploy for anyone wanting to gain access to the room unfaithfully. There was no other option.

Snatching the broom from the desk and holding it protectively to his chest as though it were a new-born child, James sprinted to the staircase mentally readying himself for the sudden drop of the stairs that make a slide. A fast escape, in other words.

Mr. Ollivander muttered to himself in annoyance. Lily was turning out to be quite the challenge to match a wand.

Lily stood, surrounded by discarded wands and wand boxes looking awfully flushed and humiliated as Mr. Ollivander shuffled to her once more with an out stretched wand "Dragon heart string, five inches, Willow. Give it a wave Miss Evans."

Lily did as she was told. But it amounted to absolutely nothing. Lily hung her head with a sigh as she gave the wand back to Mr. Ollivander, whom threw it to the floor in a fit of rage "Why are you so difficult to put a match too, Miss Evans? You are of course magical! Why won't just one wand taking a shining to you? Honestly!"

"Can't I just pick one out?" Lily asked, looking at the little old man with the creepy silver eyes helplessly.

Mr. Ollivander looked as though Lily had just hit him in the face "No, I could not possibly allow that! It's the wand that chooses the wizard or witch in your case. You should know that by now Miss Evans!"

Susanna coughed loudly, causing Mr. Ollivander to look over in her direction shrewdly. She and Paul were currently sitting edgily in two very fragile looking chairs like they thought the chairs would break at any minute "You have to admit, Mr. Ollivander that your technique is obviously not working this time. Why don't you let Lily have a chance to pick out a wand? What harm could come of that?" Susanna had her pleasant smile fixed and her blue eyes staring. Lily couldn't shake the thought of how intimidating this look was.

Mr. Ollivander shook his head stubbornly, "I know I will get it at some point, if we just keep trying we will find the match…"

"What if we don't have all day, Mr. Ollivander?" Susanna interrupted, somewhat rudely.

Lily looked out the window, she noticed the sun was beginning to drop lower and lower behind the buildings in Diagon Alley and the surrounding area. The day was almost over, and she still had so much to do.

Susanna and Mr. Ollivander continued to argue even though Paul persistently attempted to end the exchange of pleasantries. But nothing could stop them.

Lily stepped out of her circle of discarded wands and walked around the shop. She was going to find herself a wand and that was final.

She extended an arm and pointed her index finger, running it along the rows of little rectangle wands stacked up to the ceiling. She knew she would never be able to reach all the way up there, so she was hoping that _her_ wand was to be found on the lower shelves. She pulled out a box at random, from its snug position on the shelf. Surprisingly, when Lily pulled the box free the vacant hole remained for easy replacing. Lily was thankful, her visit to the wand shop had not been particularly pleasant considering the ongoing argument between Susanna and Mr. Ollivander and Lily didn't want to make matters worse by messing up his wand order, however strange it maybe.

Lily squinted at the writing scrawled on the side of the box. It was of strange measurements (ten and a quarter inches long), the type of wood used (Willow) and the core. This part was smudged and however much she squinted at the smudged script, she couldn't decipher it however hard she tried.

Lily's hands began to shake as she quietly took the lid off the thin rectangular box. On a plush lining of deep midnight blue satin sat a beautifully crafted wand. Lily looked around quickly, making sure that Mr. Ollivander was still engrossed in the argument with Susanna which had, strangely enough, morphed into an argument about the weather.

Lily took the wand from its box and at once knew this was the wand for her. Waving it confidently, sparks of every imaginable color came from the tip of the wand. Finally, Susanna and Mr. Ollivander fell silent and stared at Lily in wonder.

Susanna's frown melted away to be replaced with a bright and ecstatic smile. She hurriedly pushed coins into Mr. Ollivander's hands with a "Thank you for your services", draped an arm around a shocked and pale Lily's shoulders and spirited her out of the shop, Paul wandering slowly behind them.

"Paul! Hurry up we have so much to buy and not enough daylight." Susanna called in the hope of speeding up Paul's slow paces.

But it did nothing. Paul continued to walk slowly, staring at his own wand with a sickly green complexion, his eyes wide and tearing.

Susanna turned her head, still walking "Paul! Come on! Hurry up or…what's that buzzing?" Susanna trailed off noticing Paul's face "What's happened?"

Paul looked up from his wand. It was currently buzzing softly, but as every moment passed the buzzing rose in volume. Paul's eyes focusing lazily on Susanna's worried expression. Lily's heart tensed, Paul's face spelled trouble so obviously Lily feared for Paul's life.

"It's James, Susie." Paul whispered, his words so high pitched and uncontrolled. Paul blinked slowly, then fixed his eyes back upon his wife "James is in my office."

"And?" Susanna enquired not sounding at all worried.

What little color remained in Paul's face immediately drained away at Susanna's words, "And Susie? And! And nothing! James is in my office! James found a way up to my office! James has found my collection of brooms… and oh no! James can take what ever broom he likes, because the room thinks it's me in there. And…" Paul's face was ghostly as the truth of his thoughts finally struck him, hard. "I just sent the Speeding Bullet to my office. And knowing James, it would be his first choice. I have to go!" Paul informed as he turned away and sped down the alley towards the exit.

"PAUL POTTER! YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" Susanna screeched. Her face flushed red, her light blue eyes darkened unimaginably.

Paul froze mid step, along with all the other shopping witches and wizards in Diagon Alley.

Paul hung his head, and back tracked amid staring eyes and echoing laughs. "Susie, please! I have to get home before James hops onto that broomstick and flies to London for all I know!" Paul pleaded with his stubborn wife, whom smiled at him wickedly, as she pointed her wand at the shopping bags pooled around his feet causing them to fade from view.

"Wouldn't it be smarter to wait here for him then, Paul? We still have so much shopping to do…" Susanna trailed off as she felt something in her pocket. She smiled suddenly "Oh, ok I guess you can go home and try to catch James. But take Lily with you, I am sure she would love to see the Potter Estate, and perhaps meet James." With that Susanna turned and walked away from Paul instead, heading to a nearby jeweler shop.

"But, Susanna!" Paul cried, his voice echoing down the silent street.

"Your office, your business! And Lily has to at least know a few people when she gets on the Hogwarts Express. I'd rather it be James than some little Slytherin. I have to finish buying Lily's supplies!" Susanna called back. She entered the Jewelers and disappeared from view.

"Come on, Lily" Paul said quickly, taking her hand "We must get to James before he does something stupid!"

He pulled her along the path. Lily turned her head frantically in every direction in the hope of soaking in as much of Diagon Alley as she possibly could. They passed under the archway and it closed behind them automatically.

Paul opened the back door of The Leaky Cauldron for Lily, and practically nudged her through the door. Annoyed, Lily quickened her pace just to be over taken by Paul's long strides as he neared the bar.

"Oh look what we have here! Paul Potter! Oh, I would take you home any day, love!" an elderly witch screamed at Paul's appearance at the bar.

Paul smiled weakly at the elderly witch who was currently devouring a plate of liver. Lily saw this and shuddered with disgust. Paul tapped his fingers upon the bar, attempting to gain attention from Tom the Inn Keeper.

After a few long painful moments, Tom's disfigured face turned in Lily and Paul's direction and his expression brightened instantly. "How can I be of service, Mr. Potter?" He enquired.

"I need to use your fire. I must Floo Lily to the Potter Estate. Something terrible has happened! James is in my office –"

"There is no need to explain, Mr. Potter. Please follow me." Tom walked out from behind the bar and led them to a room at the back of the pub. It looked to be a private parlor, complete with a massive dining table chairs, several couches placed near the windows and an elegant fireplace. Tom approached the fire place and ignited the wood in the grate with a wave of his wand. He then reached to the cupboards above the mantle and pulled down a rather large pot.

Paul turned to Lily and lowered himself to her eye level "Ok Lily, we must hurry or James will have touched every broomstick with his dirty hands."

"Forgive me, Mr. Potter. But I am sure Master James thinks even the cleanest of hands are not worthy to touch even a Cleansweep, Sir." Tom stated, holding out the pot to Lily somewhat innocently.

Paul glared at him, and then turned back to Lily "This way of transport, through the fire, is called Floo. You are to use the Floo Network. That powder in there is called Floo Powder. Now you must take a pinch, throw it into the flames and say very, very clearly "The Potter Estate", ok? If you don't say it clearly, you could end up in any fire place on Earth. So remember, speak clearly, say "Potter Estate", eyes closed and elbows tucked in. I will meet you on the other side." He then pushed Lily toward the fire.

Biting her lip nervously, Lily threw the Floo Powder into the flames. The flames immediately changed color to emerald green. Lily then stepped into the flames, tightly closing her eyes, bracing herself for the burning sensation this act would usually bring to her body. But the flames were only pleasantly warm, playfully blowing her hair around her face. Lily took a small breath and said very clearly "The Potter Estate".

Lily was spinning to fast, her elbows were thankfully tucked close to her body.

Then at last the spinning started to slow, and Lily fell suddenly onto a plush crimson and gold rug looking up at a sparkling trophy case.

A/N: Another long chapter… but a few more interesting things… hope you enjoyed it… please leave a review )… next chapter next week sometime… bye for now


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